Echinacea: Does it help?
Categories: Nutrition & Supplements
Whenever I show even the slightest sign of a cold, my mother starts fussing and insists I swallow about a pound of echinacea. Since I rarely ever seem to actually get full-on sick, it seems to work though I often wonder whether that's just a result of the placebo effect.
According to this article from Everyday Health, there's no actual data to prove that echinacea helps kill or prevent a cold. Moreover, it can sometimes lead to allergic reactions, which could cause rashes and gastrointestinal problems. However, I've never heard of anyone having an adverse effect to it. Have you?
Still, unless you're allergic to it, I don't think it could hurt to take echinacea when you feel the first signs of cold or flu. It's never done me wrong anyway.
According to this article from Everyday Health, there's no actual data to prove that echinacea helps kill or prevent a cold. Moreover, it can sometimes lead to allergic reactions, which could cause rashes and gastrointestinal problems. However, I've never heard of anyone having an adverse effect to it. Have you?
Still, unless you're allergic to it, I don't think it could hurt to take echinacea when you feel the first signs of cold or flu. It's never done me wrong anyway.
Recent Posts
- Has Your Hard Work Paid Off? Show Us The Results! (11/24/2009)
- Ashley Greene's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" Diet (11/24/2009)
- Can Fat Come Between Friends? (11/24/2009)
- Should Yoga Qualify as an Olympic Sport? (11/24/2009)
- Thanksgiving: Pick Your Poison (11/24/2009)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Vishaal 11-13-2007 @ 4:07PM
Well, if the placebo makes you get over your cold faster, more power to you!
Reply
beki 11-13-2007 @ 4:51PM
i was taking this once and had a side effect. i had a blind spot in my left eye for some some. after i stopped taking it the spot finally went away...
Reply
sandra 11-15-2007 @ 10:57PM
i took this tea, and it did help, i was pregnant, i had a stuffed up nose what seemed like the my entire pregnancy, i would even sleep sitting upright, it was awful. an ex-coworker recommend this tea, and it helped me so much!!! i had tried everything before that, and nothing helped. i would practically shove tons of vicks in my nose, and in my mouth. I know YUCK, but the tea helped.
Reply
Dr Jeff Aitkin 11-27-2007 @ 9:45PM
Echinacea is a popular herbal medicine but does it really live up to all the claims?
Choice magazine analysed the active ingredients of 10 popular Australian brands of Echinacea products. None of the products tested showed they contain enough active ingredients to have any effect on the immune system. According to Choice magazine you'd have to be an optimist to find any effects from Echinacea!
Published Australian University research has clearly shown that MC-S possesses powerful immune-stimulating properties that could be of benefit in restoring a suppressed immune system.
MC-S can significantly stimulate the activity of white blood cells. It increases the expression of T-cells, NK-cells, Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and Interferon (intracellular anti-viral activity). Its powerful anti-tumour activity has been shown to significantly inhibit the growth of breast, prostate, bowel and melanoma cancer cells. Human clinical trials have shown that MC-S can significantly reduced the adverse affects and incidents of colds, flu and secondary infections. MC-S is safe and exhibits a near-perfect benefit to risk profile for individuals afflicted with cancer or living with impaired immunity. See www.mc-s.com.au for details.
Reply