Press Release

The Truth About Echinacea Revealed:
Echinacea reduces the risk of catching a cold by 65%.

Recently published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases (one of the most respected medical journals) ; combined analysis of scientific literature shows why there is so much controversy regarding Echinacea’s efficacy.

Dr. Craig Coleman and his team at the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy analyzed the outcomes of 14 independent trials encompassing over 1300 study participants. The much touted 2005 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine was included in their analysis.

These specialists in pharmacology and infectious disease concluded that Echinacea is effective in reducing the incidence and duration of the common cold. In almost 80% of the studies, the species of Echinacea used was Echinacea purpurea.

Across all 14 trials Echinacea decreased the odds of developing a cold by 58%. For three of the trials, rhinovirus was directly introduced into the body in order to artificially induce colds in study participants. Echinacea reduced the risk of catching a cold by 35% in these trials. In the remaining trials where participants had normal exposure to cold viruses, Echinacea reduced the risk of catching a cold by 65%.

Dr. Coleman and his colleagues criticize the methodology used by Turner et al. in the 2005 study (published in the New England Journal of Medicine). Echinacea angustifolia was used at a dose that is over 3 times lower than the WHO (World Health Organization) monograph recommendations. A dose of 900 mg was used whereas the monograph recommends 3,000 mg for an effective treatment. In addition cold symptoms were artificially induced using 10 to 100 times higher virus concentrations than people are naturally exposed to. The virus challenge was therefore overdosed and did not represent realistic circumstances.

Echinacea is one of the most commonly used herbal products. There are over 800 products on the market of various formats (pills, extracts, juice, tincture, infusion), containing different parts of Echinacea (flower, stem and roots). Researchers think that three of the active substances in Echinacea, alkylamides, chicoric acid and polysaccharides, play a role in immune defense. However they are uncertain as to their precise action. Studies show however, that remedies made from fresh plants contain a higher concentration of active ingredients.

In the U.S. 40% of lost work time and 30% of lost school time are attributed to symptoms caused by the common cold. Adults have between two and four colds a year while Children have between six and ten colds a year.

This evaluation of past clinical trials clearly gives validity to the use of Echinacea in fighting the cold. In fact, Echinacea reduces the risk of catching a cold whether the virus exposure occurs naturally or artificially. Furthermore, Echinacea is deemed safe for children and studies also suggest safety for pregnant women.

Melissa Ector Dt. P.