The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7305 p793
26 June 2004

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

  Acrobat Reader

News summary

Data fail to show benefit for Echinacea purpurea in colds

Another study has failed to find evidence that Echinacea purpurea effectively reduces the symptoms and duration of the common cold (PJ, 6 December 2003, p768), despite many popular reports that it does.

The researchers randomised 128 patients with common cold to either 100mg of E purpurea or placebo three times a day and recorded the patient’s symptoms.

Statistical tests failed to show differences between the E purpurea and placebo groups either for symptom scores or for time to resolution of symptoms (Archives of Internal Medicine 2004;164:1237).