The common cold usually strikes in the winter months and is characterized by sneezing, coughing, a runny nose and a sore throat. Colds are causes by airborne viruses, usually rhinoviruses. You can help to prevent a cold by washing your hands regularly and maintaining a strong immune system by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and exercising regularly. The herb echinacea may also help to prevent the common cold, although evidence to support its use is mixed. Talk to your doctor before using herbal remedies.
Properties and Potential Benefits
Echinacea is a purple-colored flower that belongs to the Compositae family of plants. It contains numerous active compounds including alkaloids, glycosides and terpenoids. The root and aerial part of the echinacea plant are used to make herbal medicine for a number of ailments, including wound healing and viral infections. Echinacea is most commonly used, though, to treat upper respiratory tract infections and to prevent the common cold. However, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center notes that echinacea may not help reduce the duration of a cold.
Administration
Echinacea may be taken as a tea, juice or herbal tincture. Alternatively, you may prefer to take it in capsules or tablets. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests taking 300 mg of echinacea three times daily to help prevent a cold. There are a plethora of echinacea supplements on the market. According to the Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, some echinacea supplements do not even contain echinacea, so ask your pharmacist to help you choose a high-quality supplement certified to contain this herb.
Evidence
Evidence supporting the use of echinacea as a preventive treatment for the common cold is mixed. An analysis of clinical trial findings published in the January 2011 issue of "Canadian Family Physician" concludes that there is moderate evidence to support the use of echinacea as a prophylactic treatment for the common cold. A further analysis of clinical trial data, published in the January 2006 "Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews," states that echinacea may help to prevent the common cold but adds that further, independent, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm this.
Safety Considerations
Oral use of echinacea is likely safe, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, although it may cause an allergic reaction in some people. Don't take echinacea if you have a known allergy to other plants in the same family, such as ragweed and marigolds. Other common side effects include nausea and constipation. Avoid echinacea if you are taking immunosuppressants, calcium-channel blockers, protease inhibitors or alprazolam.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Common Cold
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Echinacea
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Echinacea
- "Canadian Family Physician"; Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of the Common Cold; R. Nahas and A. Balla; January 2011
- "Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews"; Echinacea for Preventing and Treating the Common Cold; K. Linde, et al.; January 2006
