Study Shows that Echinacea Has Little Effect on the Common Cold

I don't get many colds and that's a good thing, because when I do get one it's usually a humdinger. I have allergies anyway and the additional virus overload really puts me under. My sinuses go into overtime production of mucus. And if it gets down to the chest, I'm really into about 6 weeks of misery.

So anything that will help ward off my annual cold is a big plus. I've tried all of the remedies when I do get a cold. They have included Vick's Vapo Rub, orange juice followed by a handful of vitamin C, and vaporizers. One time I even tried my grandfather's old remedy: Jack Daniels and chicken soup. Take enough of that and you don't really care if you have a cold anyway.

One good way to prevent colds in the first place is to wash your hands frequently and not touch your eyes or your nose when cold season is upon us. This will keep the little nasties out of your nose in the first place.

Another good solution is to use nasal washing every day. I first started doing this for my allergies. It washes the pollen out of your nose. And it can also wash out the cold viruses as well. The nasal washing units are available at your local drugstore for about $14.00.

A lot of herbs are advertised as cold remedies. One of the most popular ones and one that I haven't used that much is echinacea. First used by the American Indians to boost the immune system and ward off colds in the wintertime, echinacea is still popular today and used for the same purpose. But a couple of recent studies have shown that echinacea really has little to no effect in preventing or treating the common cold after all.

According to Medical News Today:

"Although popular as an over-the-counter herbal treatment for the common cold, researchers say echinacea has no big impact and only reduces duration of symptoms by half a day at the most."

The results of the second study were published in the 20 December issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Echinacea is a purple flower that is native to North America. It was popularized around the world when a study in Germany in the 1920's found it to be effective against the common cold and upper respiratory infections.

Most of the studies on the effectiveness of echinacea in treating the common cold have been sponsored by the manufacturers of the herb and haven't been very carefully done. Both independent studies have shown that the herb has very little effect.

So save your money on the echinacea root and stock up on orange juice and Kleenex. The orange juice doesn't really do anything for a cold either except keep you hydrated, but at least it tastes good.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/212112.php