Study Finds No Benefit In Using Echinacea To Fight Common Cold

The Sydney Morning Herald | December 18, 2002 | staff writer

[riri]

Every couple of winters or so, I go on a proactive Vitamin C, echinecia health kick trying to ward off illnesses and I swear, everytime, I get sick within, like, two weeks!

[Atlas Sneezed]

Zinc (in certain formulations) has been proven effective in controlled studies to prevent or shorten colds. I suggest the Cold-Eze lozenges at the first sign of a tickle.

But remember, you need a controlled-double blind study. After all, you or I may percieve good results, but they may be due to changing habits that go along with other measures, like washing hands more regularly.

[Poohbah]

Do you take golden seal regularly?

No, only as needed--when I first feel the symptoms of a cold.

[stanz]

I have been taking 100 mg of zinc daily since the beginning of the year. I was advised to take it along with B12 and selenium to counter the deficiencies from changing to a vegetarian diet. Hate to jinx myself, but I haven't had a cold all year.

[templar]

This confirms my experience with echinacea. It never worked for me. I don't know anyone that it has worked for. Of those who once claimed it worked, I have noticed that they quit using it over the years and suffer colds like most other people. I suspect they placebo effect and a bit of self delusion was the reason for the early claims they mad that it would work. There is one herbal extract that I have found that actually does work . It does everything echinacea, goldenseal and all the others combined are claimed to do. It works for me every time, whether I am just feeling the first faint signs of a cold or flu or whether, through negligence, I have developed a full fledged case. Works for whatever it is that causes a sudden onset of a severe sore throat as well. It usually takes no more than a few hours to feel a benefit and almost always overnight on anything, no matter how far advanced.

I might add that I haven't been to a medical doctor in over 30 years so my immune and other systems are probably much, much stronger that those who constantly bomb their systems with antibiotics and other pharmacia from an MD. I don't know if it would work for everyone, although everyone I know that has actually tried it has gotten similar results.

[bvw]

Effective at the very start of a viral infection. Maybe less than a 12-hour window.

[shrinkermd]

I take it with Southern Comfort. The cold seems worth it.

[panaxanax]

Very well put. There are many perks enjoyed by doctors from companies like Pfizer, Burroughs, Eli Lilly etc. etc. etc.

We dig our own just like grandma did. What many people don't realize is that over 80% of todays "miracle" drugs are or were derived from botanicals.

Digitalis = Foxglove
Hydrastine = Goldenseal
Codeine = Papaver somniferum (Poppy)
Morphine = Same as above
Anti-plaque agents in toothpaste = Bloodroot

The list goes on and on, but I want to get this posted on the front page.

[nanny]

Why? If echinacea really worked, they could sell it themselves right out of their offices. More $ for them.

Well, first, it is fairly inexpensive and readily available from the dollar store, WalMart to any drug store.

Second, no doctors wants to let you even think a herb can help you. That might get you started thinking for yourself.

Thirdly, there's more money in 'favors' from the drug companies.

And besides that, some doctors are like a lot of people - if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg and if a doctor doesn't have control - how can it help you.

[templar]

Every couple of winters or so, I go on a proactive Vitamin C, echinecia health kick trying to ward off illnesses and I swear, everytime, I get sick within, like, two weeks!

Sudden changes in your health regimen stress the system and can result in illness. vitamin C in particular can cause a chemical imbalance if taken, starting suddenly, in large doses. Try working up a little bit at a time over several months. It probably won't do any good as far as colds. It should help you to keep from getting sick from taking too much too quickly though. I think both of these substances might be toxic in excessivly large doses over time.

[bvw]

When you say this confirms your own few experiences you should be more careful to read the complete story:

At least two large studies in Germany concluded the herb was safe and effective for treating cold symptoms. And a 1999 study of 95 employees at a Pennsylvania nursing home found that drinking four to five cups of echinacea tea at the onset of a cold, followed by at least a cup a day, diminished symptoms and could cut the time of illness from about 14 days to about 4 days

Versus your own anecdotal remembrance and the small (73 students given the remedy) and suspect Wisconsin study. I don't think college students are a good sample of reactions to very many drugs in the general population.

[Justa]

I'm not one for that herbal stuff, but I must say there's nothing that compares to grapefruit seed extract. I've used it everyday for 3 years now with quite impressive results. It's helped to prevent infection from everything from teeth and gums, deep cuts, and athletes foot to tarantula bites. I like it.

[templar]

When you say this confirms your own few experiences you should be more careful to read the complete story:

I read the complete story. Echinacea doesn't work for me or anyone I know. Period. The German studies are meaningless as they don't mention any actual results. They could be fictional studies for all I know, as they are just the usual anonymous "two large studies", like the "thousands of observers" or "a friend who I know that knows someone that ...". The supposed Pensylvania study mentions 95 employees drinking, probably, larger than normal quantities of a warm fluid and receiving more than mormal medical attention. No controll group, no mention of what consists of the time of illness, nothing scientific is mentiond. A placebo effect is as valid as an assumption as is the efectiveness of echinacea based on the information made available in the article.

Perhaps you should read the complete story more carefully?

[nothingnew]

echinacea

I thought that was an STD.

FMCDH

[Pagey]

I have a relative that swears by this echinacea nonsense and has for years. But he's a lefty and gets manicures regularly too, so what can I say except I'm not surprised.I just faxed his wife ( who doesn't buy into any of that healthy-healthy B.S. ) a copy of this article. LOL

[Darling Lili]

Zinc (in certain formulations) has been proven effective in controlled studies to prevent or shorten colds. I suggest the Cold-Eze lozenges at the first sign of a tickle.

Amen to that!

I recommend buying them now to have around the house when you need them. At the first sign of a sore throat, pop one of those suckers in your mouth immediately.

They work!

[Doc On The Bay]

The Best "Scientific Studies" I've seen show that if you treat a cold, It lasts 5 1/2 days; An "untreated Cold" lasts 5 days!

We have Much to Learn!

Doc

[Cogadh na Sith]

I'll bet you echidna tea would be more effective....

[ReformedBeckite]

two shots of Old Turkey is my choice, and I also sleep better because of it. The poison really kicks in the immune system to fight the cold. I'm not sure if this formula would work if I got an a habit of tacking a shot every day. Body might get use to it.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Isn't GSE amazing? It even cured our 16-year-old dachshund's dogbreath. Now THAT's amazing! It also worked about as well as the vet's harsh antibiotics on his pancreatitis.

And the GSE eardrops are nothing short of miraculous. We have two friends (plus our own kids) who were headed to eardrum tubes, but the GSE drops at the first sign of an earache have prevented that. Cheap, no-harm stuff to try.