The herbal cold remedy controversy rages on

Can a herb cure the common but yet incurable cold? That is the question.

Take a look at the past in this brief timeline, courtesy the BBC News Service:

Echinacea 'does not cure colds'
18 Dec 02

Echinacea 'does not treat colds'
03 Dec 03

Regular exercise 'prevents' colds
26 Oct 06

The latest in this syndrome-like controversy was re-started this year: Echinacea 'can prevent a cold'.

Well, not too bad a let down – or should that be ‘step down/back’? Considering the amount of resources devoted to each research project, and the natural reluctance of each team to allow the perfunctory trashing of its findings/results by others, the current compromise is quite a rapprochement!

That said, how does this conytoversial plant carry out its preventive duties against the indomitable common cold?

This is how:

[…Experts believe echinacea, a collection of nine related plant species indigenous to North America, may work by boosting the body's immune system.

'Marked effects'

Researchers, led by Dr Craig Coleman from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, combined the results of 14 different studies on Echinacea's anti-cold properties.

In one of the 14 studies the researchers reviewed, echinacea was taken alongside vitamin C. This combination reduced cold incidence by 86%.

When echinacea was used alone it reduced cold incidence by 65%.

Even when patients were directly inoculated with a rhinovirus - the most common cold-causing virus - echinacea reduced cold incidence by 35%.

The researchers' report said: "With over 200 viruses capable of causing the common cold, echinacea could have modest effect against rhinovirus but marked effects against other viruses."

Popular product

They found that more than 800 products containing echinacea were available, and that differing parts of the plant - flower, stem and root - were used in different products.

They said more work was needed to check the safety of these different formulations….]

The following excerpt is probably the most solid signal that this raging echinacea/cold controversy has been put to rest:

[…Professor Ron Cutler, of the University of East London, said: "The true benefits, and more importantly, how the agents work remains unclear and further better-controlled actual clinical trials still have to be carried out.

"Echinacea may reduce the duration of illness and decreases the severity of cough, headache, and nasal congestion. "

He said people with impaired immune function might benefit from taking echinacea during the winter months to prevent colds and flu, but that healthy people did not require long-term preventative use.

"There has also been the suggestion in the past that continuous treatment with echinacea is not recommended - the benefits may only be effective for one or two weeks and after taking the agent for this time people should stop and give the immune system a week without the agent."

Professor Ronald Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at the University of Cardiff, said the work was "a significant step in our battle against the common cold".

"Harnessing the power of our own immune system to fight common infections with herbal medicines such as echinacea is now given more validity with this interesting scientific evaluation of past clinical trials," he added.]

WHEW, WHAT A RELIEF – AT LONG LAST, WE CAN ALL GET OUR ECHINACEA BOOSTER DOSES BEFORE CHRISTMAS!