Study: Echinacea Could Lower Risk of Colds

Specialists in herbal medicine have long thought that Echinacea was a good treatment for the common cold, but now they could have a little scientific proof to back up their beliefs, according to a new study reported by the BBC.

According to the study, which was recently carried out by researchers in the US, consuming Echinacea, a herbal remedy, can reduce a person's risk of getting a cold by as much as 58 percent. The researchers also found that when taken with a cold it shortened the lifespan of the cold by one and a half days.

This most recent study published in 'The Lancet Infectious Diseases' goes against the results of many other studies that said that Echinacea has no positive benefits with regards to colds.

However, the new research of this native North American plant indicated that it actually could help strengthen the immune system of the human body.

Head researcher from UCONN's School of Pharmacy, Dr. Craig Coleman, was responsible for compiling all of the data produced from fourteen various studies on the benefits of Echinacea for colds. Dr. Coleman pointed out in his report of the Echinacea study that more research may be needed as the study only used a small group of people.

When speaking with Reuters, Dr. Coleman said, "All the studies trended toward reducing a patient's odds of developing a cold. But none of them was large enough - they didn't have enough patients - to prove it statistically." He went on to say, "Someone needs to do a really large, well-done, randomised trial. That is unlikely to occur because there is a lack of funding." This could be because Echinacea is a popular herbal remedy that drug companies would not be able to patent, according to Dr. Coleman.

One of the fourteen studies investigated showed extremely positive results. In this study vitamin C was taken along side Echinacea resulting in the chances of a cold developing being lowered by 86 percent.

Dr Coleman also spoke about earlier studies that said that Echinacea did not help in the treatment and prevention of colds. He said that these studies were not complete, pointing out that a study carried out in 2006 only tested the herbal remedy with one type of cold virus. Yet there are 199 known cold viruses, so it may not of worked for that particular cold virus but that does not mean it would not be effective against of other strains.

Dr. Coleman also said that it is not yet known whether the herbal remedy had any harmful side effects. Speaking with Reuters he said, "While Echinacea is generally regarded as safe, it hasn't undergone any long-term safety evaluation."

Sources

BBC report on Echinacea study
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6231190.stm

Reuters report on Echinacea study
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN2529358120070625?pageNumber=3