Echinacea

More nonsense alternative medicine has been shown to be bunk. In three studies I can find (one reported officially tomorrow), echinacea did nothing to help prevent colds or reduce their symptoms.

• June 2004 Archives of Internal Medicine • Echinacea purpurea Therapy for the Treatment of the Common Cold.

  Some studies have concluded that Echinacea effectively reduces the symptoms and duration of the common cold. We were unable to replicate such findings.

• 28 July 2005 New England Journal of Medicine • An Evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in Experimental Rhinovirus Infections.

  The results of this study indicate that extracts of E. angustifolia root, either alone or in combination, do not have clinically significant effects on infection with a rhinovirus or on the clinical illness that results from it.

• 3 Dec 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association • Efficacy and safety of echinacea in treating upper respiratory tract infections in children: a randomized controlled trial.

  Echinacea purpurea, as dosed in this study, was not effective in treating URI symptoms in patients 2 to 11 years old, and its use was associated with an increased risk of rash.

This is the sort of reason why I want to know something works before I try it. Seems if something gets repeated enough people will start to believe it's true. It's bad when what's repeated is innuendo about someone's sex life. It's bad when it causes people to waste money on something that doesn't help their health.