Evidence mixed on the usefulness of
echinacea for colds
For
people seeking a natural treatment for the common cold, some preparations containing
the plant Echinacea work better than nothing, yet "evidence is weak,"
finds a new report from The Cochrane Library. The evidence review
revealed no significant reductions in preventing illness, but didn't rule out
"small preventive effects."
The
six authors conducted reviews on this subject in 1998, 2006 and 2008 and wanted
to do an update to include several new trials conducted since then.
The
research team reviewed 24 randomized controlled trials to determine whether
Echinacea was a safe and effective cold prevention and treatment. Trials
included 4631 participants and 33 preparations, along with placebo. Echinacea
products studied in these trials varied widely according to characteristics of
three different plant species, the part of the plant used and method of
manufacturing.
People
who get colds spend $8 billion annually on pharmaceutical products, including
supplements such as Echinacea, Barrett noted. The authors' meta-analyses
suggest that at least some Echinacea preparations may reduce the relative risk
of catching a cold by 10 to 20 percent, a small effect of unclear clinical
significance. The most important recommendation from the review for consumers
and clinicians is a caution that Echinacea products differ greatly and that the
overwhelming majority of these products have not been tested in clinical
trials.
Barrett
added that "it looks like taking Echinacea may reduce the incidence of
colds. For those who take it as a treatment, some of the trials report real
effects -- but many do not. Bottom line: Echinacea may have small preventive or
treatment effects, but the evidence is mixed."
"The
paper does support the safety and efficacy of Echinacea in treating colds and
highlights the main issue of standardizing herbal medicines," commented
Ron Eccles, Ph.D., director of the Common Cold Centre & Healthcare Clinical
Trials at Cardiff University's School of Biosciences in Wales.
Story Source:
The
above story is based on materials provided by Health Behavior News Service, part of
the Center for Advancing Health. Note: Materials may be
edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
1.
Marlies Karsch-Völk,
Bruce Barrett, David Kiefer, Rudolf Bauer, Karin Ardjomand-Woelkart, Klaus
Linde. Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014 DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub3
Cite This Page:
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MLA
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APA
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Chicago
Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing
Health. "Evidence mixed on the usefulness of echinacea for colds." Science
Daily, 20 February 2014.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140220131358.htm>.
