A recent study published in The Lancet has concluded Echinacea does indeed work, warding off colds and curtailing the length of infection for those who succumb.
The study, led by Dr Craig Coleman from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, relied on the statistical analysis of 14 separate studies selected from a pool of over 700 previous reviews. The study concluded that “Echinacea decreased the odds of developing the common cold by 58%” and reduced “the duration of a cold by 1.4 days.”
Nine flowering varieties make up the Echinacea family of plants, three of which are commonly used in health supplements. Indigenous to North America, Echinacea was used as a natural remedy by Native Americans long before it hit modern health food stores. The plant is thought to boost the immune system by increasing the activity of white blood cells. Numerous studies in the past have come up with conflicting results on the plant’s effectiveness. It is thought that one reason for this may be that different parts of the plant (flower, stem and root) are used in the 800-plus Echinacea products now available in the marketplace.
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