Does Echinacea work?

​Echinacea is a plant that is widely used to treat the common cold. There are nine known species that are all native to North America. The most common species used in dietary supplements are Echinacea purpurea or Echinacea angustifolia. Echinacea available for purchase can vary greatly due to different types, preparation, and parts of the plant being used. 
 
Many studies have investigated effects of Echinacea, with varying outcomes and no clear understanding that Echinachea helps to prevent a cold. However, studies have shown that some preparations of Echinacea purpurea can help to shorten the duration & severity of the common cold. This may be effective in adults, but not in children.
 
It is recommended that Echinacea preparations shouldn’t be consumed for longer than 8 weeks. At this stage, no harmful side effects are known, but the evidence for long-term use is still very limited. 
 
It is important to know that products of Echinacea on the market differ greatly. If taking Echinacea, look for Echinacea purpurea as an alcoholic extract, or pressed juice. Overall, the evidence is inconclusive & more studies are needed to determine if echinacea prevents or reduces the effect of the common cold. 
 

References:
Sachin A Shah, Stephen Sander, C Michael White, Mike Rinaldi, Craig I Coleman, Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis,The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 7, Issue 7, 2007, Pages 473-480, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(07)70160-3.
 
Linde K, Barrett B, Bauer R, Melchart D, Woelkart K. Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000530. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub2. Accessed 26 June 2022.
 
National Center for complementary and integrative health. Echinacea. NIH. 2020. Available at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/echinacea. Accessed on 26 June 2022.
 
By Emma McShane, Dietitian. Edited by Nicole Bando, APD, IBCLC, July 2022

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