Echinacea for the Common Cold: Can Alternative Medicine Be Evidence-Based Medicine?

Editorials17 December 2002Echinacea for the Common Cold: Can Alternative Medicine Be Evidence-Based Medicine?Ronald B. Turner, MDRonald B. Turner, MDUniversity of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, VA 22908Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-137-12-200212170-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Echinacea, a plant indigenous to the midwestern United States, was first used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans. By the end of the 19th century, echinacea was employed as a treatment for a variety of ailments, including the common cold. During the 20th century, U.S. interest in echinacea waned, but this remedy became popular in Europe, especially Germany. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 removed much of the regulatory oversight from the marketing and sale of herbal remedies and has resulted in renewed interest in echinacea as a common cold treatment in the United States. Despite the ...References1. Melchart D, Linde K, Fischer P, Kaesmayr J. Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000; (2)CD000530. [PMID: 10796553] Google Scholar2. Barrett BP, Brown RL, Locken K, Maberry R, Bobula JA, D'Alessio D. Treatment of the common cold with unrefined echinacea. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:939-46. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Bauer R. Standardization of Echinacea purpurea expressed juice with reference to cichoric acid and alkamides. Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants. 1999;6:51-62. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. Cheminat A, Zawatzky R, Becker H, Brouillard R. 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Müller-Jakic B, Breu W, Pröbstle A, Redl K, Greger H, Bauer R. In vitro inhibition of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase by alkamides from Echinacea and Achillea species. Planta Med. 1994;60:37-40. [PMID: 8134414] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, VA 22908Current Author Address: Ronald B. Turner, MD, University of Virginia School of Medicine, PO Box 800386, Charlottesville, VA 22908. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoTreatment of the Common Cold with Unrefined Echinacea Bruce P. Barrett , Roger L. Brown , Kristin Locken , Rob Maberry , James A. Bobula , and Donn D'Alessio Echinacea for the Common Cold Wendy L. Applequist Metrics Cited ByResearch on Echinacea Use in Western MedicineOptimization and single-laboratory validation study of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of phenolic Echinacea constituentsChanges in immunomodulatory properties of Echinacea spp. root infusions and tinctures stored at 4 °C for four daysEvidence-based medicine and its implications for the profession of chiropracticEffectiveness and tolerability of a homoeopathic remedy compared with conventional therapy for mild viral infectionsHerbal Remedies in the United States: Potential Adverse Interactions With Anticancer AgentsEchinacea purpurea for Prevention of Experimental Rhinovirus ColdsCurrent and future therapeutic approaches to the common coldEchinacea for the Common ColdWendy L. Applequist, PhDMet echinacea gaat de verkoudheid niet sneller over 17 December 2002Volume 137, Issue 12Page: 1001-1002KeywordsCommon coldEvidence based medicineNative American peoplePathogenesisPharmacokineticsPulmonary diseasesRespiratory pathogensRespiratory system proceduresUpper respiratory tract infectionsYoung adults ePublished: 17 December 2002 Issue Published: 17 December 2002 CopyrightCopyright © 2002 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...