Study: Echinacea fails to treat / prevent colds (Annual sales of $300 mil)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Being sick with a cold is nothing to sneeze at, but new research finds that taking the popular herbal remedy echinacea does nothing to treat or prevent it.

The federally funded study was what fans and foes of such substances say they have long needed — rigorous, scientific testing. It found that patients who took an echinacea plant extract fared no better than those who took a dummy treatment.

“Our study ... adds to the accumulating evidence that suggests that the burden of proof should lie with those who advocate this treatment,” wrote Dr. Ronald Turner of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, who led the study, which appeared in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.

Echinacea, or purple coneflower, is sold over-the-counter in pills, drops and lozenges. With reported annual sales of more than $300 million, echinacea is one of the most popular medicinal herbs used by people to treat colds.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8728355/

[halobeam]

1. I don't believe it.

My kids had recurring ear infections and colds until they were 3 and four and then I gave them "Herbs for Kids".. sweet echinecia and slightly increased their vit. C. starting in August and ending in Feb. In seven years, one child had one ear infection, and both have had very minor colds that lasted an incredible two to three days tops.

Told my friend about it, her kids, same thing. Long time with probs., then NOTHING when she did the same thing.

[tjdee]

2. Just this week I used it. It does so work--on edit, were they given enough

?

Works better with vit. c and zinc, but it works. I'd be interested in the concentration they used.

on edit:
"Blumenthal pointed out that the extract used in the latest study was prepared in the lab and not sold in stores. He also added that the herb might work better if higher doses were used."

I'm going to see if I can google how much they got per day...

There's a study that says something different all the time. Eggs are bad for you, they're good for you, they'll kill you, depends on the study.

[LynzM]

12. They were given....

The daily dose recommended by a German advisory board, which is about 1/3 the standard recommended daily does.

Apparently, the study once again showed the effects of placebo effect, because those who 'thought' they we getting ecchinacea reported feeling less ill than those who thought they weren't getting it, regardless of actual treatment regimen.

I'm torn... I've had it work for me, but I also put value in scientific analysis. I'd like to see it repeated at higher dosing levels, in combination with other herbs likely to be used with it: Vitamin C, goldenseal, etc.

[sir_captain]

27. Heh

scientific analysis, particularly as it applies to medicine, seems strangely unpopular here on DU. I've personally given up trying to argue with anyone about it.

As far as I know, the only supplement that has ever shown a serious effect on the common cold taken after onset is zinc. I'd be curious to see some more stuff done on ecchinacea, etc, as well, though. Personally, I don't really believe the stuff does anything.

[stellanoir]

3. Study sponsored by your friendly neighborhood

pharmaceutical corporation in promotion of the implementation of Codex regulations which if inacted will severely limit access to the vitamins, minerals, and herbs that enable many of the millions of uninsured to sustain their health and well being.

I'm absolutely sure they lowballed the dosages. This stuff has kept me without colds for well over a decade. Such BS.

[tjdee]

4. How often do you take it?

I've been only taking it when I get a cold, but I wonder if I should take it all the time...

[halobeam]

8. Try it six weeks before cold season, then through

cold season and end early if you don't want to stay on it all the time. That's what I do with my kids... works for them

[tjdee]

9. Every day, right?

Just curious what others are doing. So far I stick to the tea for us, not sure about the dosage for the kiddo--but the tea does the job anyway.

I found out about echinacea *after* she was in the hospital for pneumonia last year. Sigh.

[halobeam]

17. Yea, everyday...

If you buy the brand "Herbs for Kids" get the sweet echinecia (liquid form) it tells you the amount of drops to use and I put it in a cup add a teaspoon of water or juice to it. The kids never found it "yucky" tasting, different maybe, but not "bad".

[halobeam]

7. that's my belief.

[Dave Reynolds]

5. Studies are only as good

as the lab performing them.

Another study would likely give a completely different result.

[Deja Q]

6. Those buggers grow like weeds in MN...

Time to whip out the ol' shears...

[pitohui]

10. i grow this wildflower

the supposed medicine is in the root, so i worry to see it promoted as something to dig up and process

i let it be for the birds and butterflies

clearly if there is sincere need, use it, but my seneca friend who turned me onto it only takes it when needed

should not be taken every day like vitamin C

[Catchawave]

11. Works for my family....

I'd like to follow the money for this study....usally when I see a university behind it, there's pharma bucks close by!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. Ahem...... mebbe you should look at this......

There are 416 references to Echinacea on Medline... here are two.

1: Phytomedicine. 2003 Jan;10(1):66-86. Related Articles, Links


Medicinal properties of Echinacea: a critical review.

Barrett B.

Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison WI 53715, USA. [e-mail]

Preparations from Echinacea purpurea are among the most widely used herbal medicines. Most uses of E. purpurea are based on the reported immunological properties. A series of experiments have demonstrated that E. purpurea extracts do indeed demonstrate significant immunomodulatory activities. Among the many pharmacological properties reported, macrophage activation has been demonstrated most convincingly. Phagocytotic indices and macrophage-derived cytokine concentrations have been shown to be Echinacea-responsive in a variety of assays. Activation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and natural killer cells has also been reasonably demonstrated. Changes in the numbers and activities of T- and B-cell leukocytes have been reported, but are less certain. Despite this cellular evidence of immunostimulation, pathways leading to enhanced resistance to infectious disease have not been described adequately. Several dozen human experiments--including a number of blind randomized trials--have reported health benefits. The most robust data come from trials testing E. purpurea extracts in the treatment for acute upper respiratory infection. Although suggestive of modest benefit, these trials are limited both in size and in methodological quality. Hence, while there is a great deal of moderately good-quality scientific data regarding E. purpurea, effectiveness in treating illness or in enhancing human health has not yet been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial

PMID: 12622467




1: Biogerontology. 2005;6(3):157-63. Related Articles, Links


Enhancement of natural killer cells and increased survival of aging mice fed daily Echinacea root extract from youth.

Brousseau M, Miller SC.

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Ave, H3A 2B2, Montreal, QC, Canada, [e-mail].

In spite of Echinacea-based products being among the best-selling herbs in the world to date, to allay assorted ailments, the debate is still on-going with respect to the efficacy of ingesting the herb intermittently, continuously, or only at the beginning of an affliction. We sought, therefore, to find out if mice, receiving dietary Echinacea daily, throughout life, from youth until late middle-age, demonstrated any longevity/survival differences, and/or any differences in their various populations of immune/ hemopoietic cells. Sustained and/or high levels of these cells are crucial for longevity. Some mice were maintained on a regular chow diet to which was added Echinacea purpurea daily (2 mg/mouse), from puberty (7 week) until just beyond 13 months of age (late middle-age in mice). Control mice, identically housed and maintained, received identical chow without the herb. Mice consuming untreated diet had a 79% survival by 10 months of age, while those consuming Echinacea daily in the diet were still 100% alive by 10 months. At approximately 13 months of age, mice consuming untreated diet had a 46% survival rate while those consuming Echinacea, were 74% alive at this time. Moreover, the key immune cells, acting as the first line of defense against developing neoplasms in mice and humans, i.e., natural killer (NK) cells, were significantly elevated in absolute number both in their bone marrow production site, as well as in the major organ to which they traffic and function, i.e., the spleen. The cells of the myeloid/granulocyte lineages remained steadfastly at control levels in both the bone marrow and spleen in Echinacea-consuming mice. Thus, it appears that regular intake of Echinacea may indeed be beneficial/prophylactic, if only for the reason that it maintains in an elevated state, NK cells, prime elements in immunosurveillance against spontaneous-developing tumors, a phenomenon which increases in frequency with progressive aging.

PMID: 16041619

[I Have A Dream]

14. I don't care what the studies show -- it works for me.

(Thanks for posting this though.) :)

[flvegan]

15. Ahem..."federally funded"

Meaning "big pharma funded"

Oh, the shock. Oh, the disappointment. I feel betrayed by my herbs.

Is there something I can take for this sarcasm? It seems a little lodged in my sinuses...........

[alarcojon]

16. I don't think this should be dismissed so lightly

The article mentions a large study in 2003 which found that echinacea "failed to alleviate cold symptoms and even caused mild skin rashes in some cases." So this is not the first study to come up with negative results. The study was commissioned by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the NIH. It seems to have followed proper scientific protocol and has appeared in the New England Journal of medicine.

Now it may be that NCCAM and the NEJM are bought and paid for by the pharmaceutical industry. The article does mention that the lead researcher has consulted for several antibiotic makers. No offense to any of your experiences, but until I see some evidence that this study is not scientifically sound, I tend to believe it.

If it works for you, great. I wonder how many people who it has done nothing for would bother to post here.

[Bill McBlueState]

18. but look at all the anecdotal evidence!

I'd trust personal stories on an internet message board over double-blind controlled studies any day! Somebody who once voted for a Republican might have been peripherally involved in the study, so you can't believe that!

Science sucks, I belive whatever makes me feel good. What has science ever done for any of you?

[u4ic]

19. This stuff is way better than echinacea

http://www.cvtechnologies.com/coldfx/default.aspx



Made from ginseng, and developed at a university (U of Alberta).

[Blue-Jay]

20. I own a rock that repels tigers.

The fact that I haven't been attacked by a tiger is proof that it works.

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. Hah! I have a dried flower that prevents asteroid strikes!

[Blue-Jay]

22. Thank God you're protecting the world from asteroids!

Were it not for you and your dried flower, we all be dead meat.


P.S. You can borrow my anti-tiger rock any time.

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. Darn right!

I also have a whistle keeping elephants out of North and South America, and a birch-bark canoe that wards off kangaroos, emus, dingo dogs, and koalas.

And thanks for the offer of the anti-tiger rock! That's one thing I don't have is a defense against tigers.

[Nevernose]

24. "Science" can't "prove" that your anti-emu whistle works

Therefore, we must look to alternative explanations as to why your anti-marsupial whistle does not work. For instance, have you considered the very real probability that the ghosts of sasquatches (actually Atlanteans) were sent here by aliens via Stonehenge using the secret knowledge of the pyramids (which were first observed using the mystical secrets of ancient Chinese acupuncture, as everybody knows) and are currently in use by the crystal-using Native American mystics as explained to them by little grey anal-probing men?

HAH! I thought not!

[sir_captain]

28. It kind of boggles my mind

that many members of a progressive message board that are outraged at freepers who claim evolution doesn't exist are so quick to claim that they know better about medical treatment and pharmacology than people who actually know about it. I'm not saying that one ought not to be skeptical and open to the possibility of new treatment options, etc, obviously, but there's a point where we ought to use a little common sense!

[democracyindanger]

25. Local doctor on TV here

said that the study was faulty because they didn't come close to using the recommended dosage on the test subjects.

[PittPoliSci]

26. let us reflect.

I'm catching a lot of "this study is false, it was funded by corporations so they can continue to poison us with chemical medicine instead of natural remedies" replies to this thread. Now, this study may be false, but I would like to point out the following:

If it is true, that echinacea can prevent colds, and this study claimed it to be true. What makes you think that the major pharmacetical companies wouldn't jump all over it trying to produce echinacea-based products with a study to back it up?

These companies are in the business of making money, meaning whatever they can cram down our throats they will in an effort to make a buck.

Chances are there is no "drug conspiracy." As far as I'm concerned they're being forthright because these companies would jump on the opportunity to make a killing off of echinacea based medicines if there was solid proof that it worked.

[sir_captain]

29. Particularly since it wasn't funded by any corporations

but by a division of NIH. It was also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and frankly, that's more than good enough for me.