Echinacea for the common cold

Echinacea is a herbal remedy people often use to treat the common cold. Many people believe that the plant can boost the immune system and reduce the severity or length of colds. Echinacea is one of the most popular herbal products in the UK.

What is echinacea?

Echinacea is a flowering plant that grows throughout northern America and Europe. There are nine species. Some of the plant's common names are the purple coneflower or black-eyed Susan. The leaves, stems, flower, and roots may be used to produce supplements, liquid extracts, and teas. People have used echinacea as a remedy for centuries.

Echinacea for the common cold: Does it work?

Echinacea has been granted a Traditional Herbal Registration Certificate in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This allows it to be sold for the relief of symptoms of the common cold and influenza type infections, based on traditional use only. Registration is not based on date from clinical trials. In fact, studies of echinacea for the common cold have had mixed results. Extracts of echinacea do seem to have an effect on the immune system. Studies have suggested it may increase the number of white blood cells and boost the activity of other immune cells. One 2005 study published in Phytotherapy Research, tested a formulation prepared with fresh Echinacea purpurea plants and suggested the product: "may have led to a faster resolution of cold symptoms."

However, the research is inconsistent. Another study published in 2005 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that echinacea was no more effective than a placebo in preventing colds. It also did not reduce the severity of cold symptoms.

Two studies funded by the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the US also did not find any benefit from echinacea for the common cold in either children or adults.

However, there are many variables in studying echinacea for the common cold. Studies have looked at different types and strengths of echinacea as well as different parts of the plant or root. This makes it hard to compare the results. It's possible that some formulations are better than others. Echinacea may also help against some viruses that cause colds but not others.