ECHINACIA

Do you use Echinacea when you feel a cold coming on?According to a report from The Cochrane Library, when seeking a naturaltreatment, some preparations containing the plant Echinacea works “better thannothing”, yet "evidence is weak," that the treatment is significant atpreventing illness.

People spend $8 billion annually on pharmaceutical productsfor the common cold, including supplements like Echinacea. The authors' suggestthat at least some Echinacea preparations may reduce the relative risk ofcatching a cold. Echinacea products differ greatly and that the majority ofthese products have not been tested in clinical trials. On the positive side,using an herbal remedy avoids harsh chemicals and useless pharmaceuticals withan illness that we all know has no known cure.

The study reviewed 24 randomized controlled trials todetermine whether Echinacea was effective at cold prevention. There were 4631participants and 33 preparations, along with placebo. Echinacea productsstudied included three different plant species, and utilized the parts of theplant used in manufacturing.

The findings concluded that Echinacea has only a smallpreventive or treatment effect. Though the findings are pretty inconclusive, itdoes point to the fact that more research is needed and that herbal treatmentspresent little or no harm to the patient.

Echinacea is an herb, and several species of the plant areused to make medicine from its leaves, flower, and root. It is is also usedagainst many other infections including the flu, urinary tract infections,vaginal yeast infections, genital herpes, bloodstream infections, gum disease,tonsillitis, streptococcus infections, syphilis, typhoid, malaria, anddiphtheria. Other uses include chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatism, migraines,acid indigestion, pain, dizziness, rattlesnake bites, and attention deficit-hyperactivitydisorder. Some people apply it to their skin to treat boils, abscesses, skinwounds, ulcers, burns, eczema, psoriasis, UV radiation skin damage, herpessimplex, bee stings, and hemorrhoids.

Echinacea is native to North America and was first used astraditional herbal remedies by the Great Plains Indian tribes. Settlersfollowed the Indians’ example and began using it as well. Herbal remedies arepopular again because antibiotics don’t work as well as they used to againstcertain bacteria. Echinacea products can come in many forms including tablets,juice, and tea.

Echinacea seems to activate chemicals in the body thatdecrease inflammation, which can reduce cold and flu symptoms. Don’t use itwith caffeine though, since Echinacea might decrease how quickly the bodybreaks down caffeine and might increase the risk of side effects likejitteriness, headache, and fast heartbeat.