Clinical Trials On Echinacea And Colds

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Their Flaws And Fallacies

Echinacea has been maligned by some scientific studies in the past, yet the results of a new study has it fighting back.

Past studies have been critical of echinacea's effectiveness against the common cold. For example, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that it had no effect on the rates of infection, or how severe the symptoms were.

However, this study has been rightly criticised for the poor quality of echinacea used, the type of echinacea species, and the amount given to subjects. The latter is most significant given that the dose was one third less than what is recommended in cases of acute infection. It makes the results meaningless.

Two other previous studies also used ridiculously low amounts of echinacea - one only using 300mg compared to the 3 grams that is recommended by herbalists. Echinacea needs to be used at the right dose, and that is what these studies proved.

A new study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, has found that echinacea actually helps reduce the risk of catching a cold, by about 60%.

This study looked at the results of 14 different studies, and came to these conclusions which are completely in alignment with what herbalists say about echinacea. In fact, when combined with vitamin C, echinacea's effectiveness in preventing the common cold increased to 86%.

References: Nutraingredients.com

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