![Common cold: Echinacea would not reduce symptoms](https://img.passeportsante.net/1000x526/2014-03-24/i60158-rhume-l-echinacee-ne-reduirait-pas-les-symptomes.jpg)
December 23, 2010 – Echinacea would not reduce the intensity of a cold and have a marginal effect on the duration of its symptoms, according to researchers1 Americans.
Researchers recruited 719 people aged 12 to 80 who had symptoms of the common cold. Half of the participants were asked to take a 10.2 g tablet of echinacea within the first 24 hours of the experiment and then a 5.1 g tablet over the following 4 days. Half of them did not know they were taking echinacea.
The others were unknowingly given a placebo or, on the contrary, no tablets. All study participants had to disclose the severity of their colds twice a day.
This study, the largest of its kind to date, shows that participants who consumed echinacea did not experience any improvement in the intensity of symptoms: cough, sore throat, nasal congestion …
As for the duration of symptoms, they were shortened by 10%, which represents a decrease of 7 to 10 hours over a period of 5 days. However, this result was not statistically significant. A trend suggesting a certain effectiveness of echinacea is however observable, which does not allow to exclude possible positive effects to fight the common cold, according to the authors of the study.
These results, coupled with those of trials and meta-analyzes, one of which2 published in 2007 listing 14 studies, nevertheless lead researchers to conclude that it is likely that this plant has “only small beneficial effects” for people with colds.
No side effects
It should be noted that other studies carried out by the same team have established that, for 1 in 4 people, the benefits of this order are not worth the costs, the inconveniences and the possible side effects associated with this treatment. In this case, no adverse effects were reported by the participants.
“Few studies have focused on side effects and it is interesting to note that there are none”, notes pharmacist Michel Groleau.
The study was well done in terms of the number of participants, the species of echinacea used (E. purpurea and E. angustifolia, the two most common) and their dosage, he says.
“But it only creates confusion, because it adds to the lot of conflicting studies on the subject, without settling the issue. Echinacea is used by thousands of people who find it effective. This is perhaps the real clinical test, ”continues Michel Groleau.
According to Pierre Haddad, full professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Montreal, the lack of significant results may be due to the frequency of the disease in the participants. “The difference in the frequency of colds was greater than that predicted by the researchers,” he says. This may have limited the study’s ability to detect the difference in effect between echinacea and placebo. But this is a reflection of reality. Different people use echinacea for their own health and not all have recurring colds or just one cold per year. “
At the first signs of a cold
Another important factor is that previous studies have found that the effectiveness of echinacea is at its best when the product is consumed within hours of the onset of symptoms. However, in the present study, the results were the same in a subgroup of participants recruited 24 hours or less after their first signs of a cold.
For researchers, the use of echinacea to treat a cold is primarily an individual choice based on personal health values.
Other phytotherapeutic products (e.g .: goldenseal) and homeopathic products (e.g .:oscillococcinum) exist to prevent and alleviate symptoms or stimulate the immune process, recalls Michel Groleau. The common cold remains a viral infection, so nothing beats eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated and getting enough rest.
What about liquid echinacea? According to Francis Brinker, an American expert in medicinal plants, tests made with liquid extracts ofE. purpurea whole (roots and aerial parts) have given more convincing results than those carried out with extracts in tablets or capsules. In liquid form, or in tablets to melt in the mouth, the plant has the advantage of acting directly and immediately on the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, which, according to Brinker, would make it effective in case colds or respiratory tract infection. |
Louis M. Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1 Barrett B, Brown R et al. Echinacea for Treating the Common Cold: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med, 2010 153: 769-777
2. Shah SA, Sander S et al. Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007 7: 473-80.