People taking echinacea are less likely than others to contract colds, and when they do the infection lasts a day less than usual.
That's the conclusion of a review, published in the Lancet, of 14 studies on the anti-cold properties of echinacea, a common herbal supplement.
According to the study's lead author,
people with impaired immune function might benefit from taking echinacea during the winter months to prevent colds and flu, but [...] 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."
Exactly how echinacea fights infection isn't known, but researchers think the herb boosts our immune system.
Related Wired coverage here.
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Image: Nejire*
