Echinacea found to have little value for colds

Echinacea found to have little value for colds
By Lucy Beaumont
December 4, 2003

Echinacea does nothing to treat children's colds, according to a US study of
more than 500 children. 

Researchers from the University of Washington gave half the children, aged two
to 11 years, an Echinacea purpurea juice supplement and the other half an
inactive placebo. Their findings, published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, were that the popular herbal remedy did not reduce the
severity or duration of colds and was associated with a skin rash in some
children.

Upper respiratory infections, or common colds, lasted an average of nine days -
with symptoms peaking for a day and a half - whether children were given
echinacea or not, said the researchers.

The researchers conceded that if root parts or other species of the herb had
been used or if children had been given supplements earlier their results may
been more positive.