From the common cold to capturing Olympic gold

It has long been argued that echinacea can help reduce the effects and duration of the common cold. As of this writing, there doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence one way or the other. But as that debate rages on, scientists from Northwestern State University are busy trying to determine if this flower's root is beneficial for athletic performance.

In a recent study, the NSU researchers had 24 male volunteers take 8,000mg of echinacea every day for a month. Subsequent blood tests revealed a significant increase in the volunteers' capacity for aerobic activity.

With all the talk these days about HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs, it stands to reason that, if further researcher into echinacea's purported endurance-increasing properties support these early findings, we may soon be hearing reports of this substance also being banned from athletic competitions.