Echinacea can prevent the common cold

The common cold is just that, common. In the USA it is estimated that there are 1 billion colds annually. Adults have between 2 and 4 colds per year, while young children can have between 6 and 10. The burden in days lost to work and to school is large; about 40% of time off work and 30% of time off school respectively. And this doesn't take into acount the amount of time and money spent visiting the doctor.

Nutraceuticals are becoming increasingly popular across the developed world as an alternative to conventional medicine – which in any case has no cure for the common cold. Echinacea, a collection of 9 related plant species that are indiginous to North America, is the most common neutraceutical used in the USA – some 40% of people reporting its use.

Just what the mechanism behind the medicinal properties of the 9 species involved is, is not known. But it does appear that there is some form of stimulation of the immune system – possibly through up-regulation of tumour necrosis factor-a mRNA in combination with the activity of cannabinoid receptors. Although both Canadian and Germanan medical authorities recommend the use of echinacea in the common cold, so far the studies have been equivocal.

This study reviewed all the available evidence to evaluate the effect of echinacea on the incidence and duration of the common cold. What the authors found was that using echinacea reduced the odds of developing the common cold by 58% and the duration of any cold caught by 1.4 days.

Read the abstract of the article here. Please note: you must register in order to access articles on The Lancet site.