Not only can echinacea be taken with vitamin C, many herbal formulations available for purchase from natural foods retailers include both as ingredients. According to Drugs.com there are no known negative interactions between vitamin C and echinacea, but that doesn’t mean that adverse effects are beyond the realm of possibility. Consult your doctor before taking herbal supplements.
Echinacea and Vitamin C
Echinacea is an herbal remedy prepared from the purple coneflower plant. It was first used by Native Americans, but quickly became popular among European colonists who arrived in the West. At one time it was the number one cold remedy in the United States. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It has long been regarded as an immune system enhancer, but the Linus Pauling Institute states that the results of human studies into its influence on the immune system have produced conflicting results.
Effectiveness
The mere fact that formulations containing both echinacea and vitamin C exist isn’t proof that they’re effective. To determine whether using echinacea and vitamin C might help your specific situation, educate yourself as to the results of research on the effects of these substances. Several studies have delved into the results of using echinacea and vitamin C concurrently.
Pediatric Respiratory Illnesses
An herbal remedy called Chizukit was the focus of a study published by “Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine” in 2004. Chizukit contains echinacea and vitamin C along with propolis, a substance produced by honeybees. The study focused on the effects of Chizukit in the prevention of respiratory tract infections and involved 430 children between the ages of 1 and 5. Chizukit demonstrated the ability to reduce the number of respiratory infection and shorter the length of such illnesses when compared to a placebo.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A preparation of echinacea, vitamin C, zinc and selenium may help protect patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from the effects of upper respiratory tract infections, according to the “Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.” The study, published in October 2011, followed the result of treating 108 men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with the mixture of echinacea and nutrients. It found that the preparation helped alleviate the worsening of symptoms that occurs when those with the disease experienced upper respiratory tract infections.
References
- Drugs.com: Echinacea and Vitamin C Drug Interactions
- NYU Langone Medical Center: Echinacea
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Vitamin C
- Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
- Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics: Echinacea Purpurea Along with Zinc, Selenium and Vitamin C to Alleviate Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial
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