Study: Echinacea Leaves Cold-Sufferers Sniffling

[HuckleB]

Study: Echinacea Leaves Cold-Sufferers Sniffling

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-072705echinacea_lat,0,2637824.story?coll=la-tot-promo

"Echinacea, the popular herbal remedy for fighting the common cold, does not ward off runny noses, sore throats or headaches, nor does it help patients recover from cold symptoms more quickly, according to the results of a broad clinical trial to be reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Taken with other recent studies that showed no benefit from echinacea, the new findings shift the burden of proof to proponents of herbal products to demonstrate that the plant has medicinal value, researchers said.

"We find no evidence that it actually does anything to common cold symptoms," said Dr. Ronald B. Turner, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the study's lead author. "If that's the reason you're buying it, then you're wasting your money."

Echinacea enthusiasts disputed that the results of the study were so clear-cut. They noted that Turner and his colleagues examined only the root portion of one version of the plant and said the dosage given was too low to register any positive effect.

..."

This on top of Oregon making its citizens get a prescription for pseudoephedrine could give me nightmares about the cold season to come.

;)

[HuckleB]

1. Clearly, LBN needs a new title.

Since only certain types of news are allowed there.

Ugh.

[greyl]

2. I guess it was an editiorial decision that it was "off topic" news.

It's definitely appropriate in the forum it got moved to, but it would be nice for this study to have more exposure here at DU. I heard about it today on NPR.

One point on the "dosage wasn't high enough" comments from the Echinacea enthusiasts: According to my research, the recommended dosage is between 200-400mg 3 times a day, with an average daily dose of 900mg.
The doctor who said she prescribes 900mg 3 times a day is an extreme and even she says there's no good evidence it works as advertised.

Why not post this in the Science forum or Science and Pseudoscience group too? :)

edit: added "at DU"

[HuckleB]

3. I don't buy the "off topic" stuff.

Echinacea has been put in "cold products" for sale to the general public across the board. This is a mainstream news piece that ought to be discussed by the "general public" of DU. Further, looking at some of the threads that are allowed to go on and on at LBN, I do not understand why this was moved. There is a thread over there right now about a Grandma suing a video game company, and the thread's responses are all pure Lounge material, but yet it hasn't been moved.

Something is not right in LBN, IMHO.

I do appreciate your kind and thoughtful response.

[HuckleB]

4. Now I see this story on the front page of The Oregonian, this morning.

Is there any doubt that this is worthy of LBN?

[Laughing Mirror]

5. It is also the NY Times story the most emailed in last 24 hours!

Try starting a new thread in GD and see what happens. Here's Thursday's NYT story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/28/health/28cold.html?incamp=article_popular&pagewanted=print

[AllyCat]

6. Huh. Sure works for me if I catch it quickly enough.

Cold medicines don't help either so I will continue with the echinacea, fluids, and more rest when I feel a cold coming on. The 3 together are nearly unbeatable in my non-scientific, one test subject study!