Echinacea in cold cure

Since no medicine exists that can rid a person of a cold, it’s not surprising that “cold cures” are so steeped in myth. Hundreds of alternative treatments exist, some new, others dating back centuries or even thousands of years.

It’s not easy to separate those which might have some clinical value from the witchcraft potions.

Many people swear large doses of vitamin C can cure a cold, although there is no evidence that this is true. Similarly zinc supplements, garlic, liquorice, sage, peppermint, yarrow tea, and mung beans are all said to alleviate cold symptoms.

In China, skilled practitioners apply head massages to acupuncture points to banish colds. One of the stranger western remedies is chicken soup.

Generally the safest policy is to rely on peer-reviewed evidence published in a respected scientific journal.

One herbal remedy well known for its ability to fight off colds and other infections now appears to have passed this test.

Echinacea, also known as purple cornflower, is a family of related North American plants.

It was widely used by American plains Indians to treat a range of complaints, and is claimed to fight infection and boost the immune system.

The plant became popular as a herbal remedy in Europe and America in the 1930s and is now sold in high street chemists.

Three Echinacea species in particular are recognised for their medicinal value, E angustifolia, E. pallida and E. pururea.

Scientists in the US pooled together the results of 14 separate studies of Echinacea and used statistical methods to analyse them.

This kind of “meta-analysis” often provides more powerful evidence than is available from one individual trial.

The researchers from the Connecticut School of Pharmacy found that taking Echinacea can reduce the risk of catching a cold by 58% - more than half.

It also seemed to help colds clear up more quickly. The duration of colds was reduced by an average of 1.4 days for people taking Echinacea.

The findings were reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, a sister publication of one of the world’s most respected medical journals, The Lancet.

More than 800 products containing Echinacea were identified by the scientists.

Different parts of the plant, the flower, stem or root were used in different products. How the plant exerts its biological effects is till unknown.

Professor Ronald Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre and Healthcare Clinical Trials at the University of Cardiff, called the findings “a significant step in our battle against the common cold”.

He added: “Harnessing the power of our own immune system to fight common infections with herbal medicines such as Echinacea is now given more validity with this interesting scientific evaluation of past clinical trials.”