Echinacea

[237SJ]

What`s the latest thinking on echinacea? Yesterday I spent an afternoon with a friend who has pneumonia and pleurisy (for the second time in less than two years). We were talking about ways she could build up her resistance and she mentioned echinacea. I used to think there was some substance in the claims that it could support the immune system but I`m not so sure now. Have there been any recent studies on echinacea and if so, what was their conclusion?

[wildwood]

http://nccam.nih.gov/...hinacea/ataglance.htm

This appears to be a worthwhile bit to read.

[nohorn]

Although I cannot quote the site, I remember on one or more occasion that a study, or more than one study, refuted its usefullness. There are lots of anecdotals from friends though, that think it is great.

[LazyGun]

Echinacea has quite an interesting history.As with any herbal product, there are possible pharmcologically active ingredients, which in itself a problem due to lack of standardisation - this being an issue with all herbal remedies - what precisely is the active ingredient, and just how much is needed to be clinically efficacious?

Some lab studies have indeed shown small stimulatory effects of certain components of the immune response - but translating results found in a test tube or petri dish to an actual clinical benefit within humans is a mistake.

There have been lots of trials, looking at the clinical efficacy, but the vast majority of these are low quality trials, with little control, randomisation, or patient numbers to give the findings any weight.

Of those trials where there are good controls, good trial protocol, large patient numbers to give statistical weight to the outcomes - the results on duration and severity of the cold have been negative.

Good article here looking at the history, claims, and evidence behind echinacea.

http://www.sciencebas...cea-for-cold-and-flu/

[237SJ]

Thanks for your answers and the links. One part of the second link was interesting. It said there was a small amount of evidence that echinacea might work right at the start of a cold. I admit I do take it when I feel I`m going down with something and my cold does seem to clear quicker (or not develop at all). The trouble is, I don`t know how bad it would be if I didn`t take it. That could be the case with the studies too. Each patient might react differently to the cold virus. Some people are affected more severely than others so it would be difficult to tell whether the severity of the symptoms is down to the patient and how much is down to the echinacea.

[hannah40]

i use it and have done since having my kids 7yrs ago and dont get many colds now and if i do thay are very minor.