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What are Echinacea's other names?

• Brauneria purpurea
• Coneflower
• Echinacea intermedia
• Purple coneflower herb
• Red sunflower
• Rudbeckia purpurea

What is Echinacea's recommended dosage?

• Recommended daily intake: 900 - 1500 mg
• Recommended daily doses: 3

What supplements interact with Echinacea?

What can Echinacea help with?

Echinacea for Common Cold

11 studies Moderately Positive A total of 92% of echinacea recipients and 95% of placebo recipients were infected. Colds developed in 58% of echinacea recipients and 82% of placebo recipients (P=.114, by Fisher's exact test). Administration of echinacea before and after exposure to rhinovirus did not decrease the rate of infection; however, because of the small sample size, statistical hypothesis testing had relatively poor power to detect statistically significant differences in the frequency and severity of illness. Moderately Positive Compliant prophylactic intake of E. purpurea over a 4-month period appeared to provide a positive risk to benefit ratio. Moderately Positive Echinacea preparations tested in clinical trials differ greatly. There is some evidence that preparations based on the aerial parts of Echinacea purpurea might be effective for the early treatment of colds in adults but results are not fully consistent. Beneficial effects of other Echinacea preparations, and for preventative purposes might exist but have not been shown in independently replicated, rigorous randomized trials. Moderately Positive Echinacea purpurea, as dosed in this study, was not effective in treating URI symptoms in patients 2 to 11 years old, and its use was associated with an increased risk of rash. Moderately Positive Further, while there was no significant difference in the number of URTI between groups, the reported duration was significantly different (C 8.6 days vs. E 3.4 days). The results suggest that Echinacea may attenuate the mucosal immune suppression known to occur with intense exercise and reduce the duration of URTI that subjects incur. Moderately Positive Prophylactic treatment with commercially available E. purpurea capsules did not significantly alter the frequency of upper respiratory tract symptoms compared with placebo use. Moderately Positive Published evidence supports echinacea's benefit in decreasing the incidence and duration of the common cold. Moderately Positive Supplementation with standardised Echinacea tablets, if taken before and during travel, may have preventive effects against the development of respiratory symptoms during travel involving long-haul flights. Moderately Positive The results of this study indicate that extracts of E. angustifolia root, either alone or in combination, do not have clinically significant effects on infection with a rhinovirus or on the clinical illness that results from it. Moderately Positive This meta-analysis suggests that standardized extracts of Echinacea were effective in the prevention of symptoms of the common cold after clinical inoculation, compared with placebo. Further prospective, appropriately powered clinical studies are required to confirm this finding. Moderately Positive Treatment with fluid extract of Echinacea purpurea did not significantly decrease the incidence, duration or severity of colds and respiratory infections compared to placebo.

Echinacea for Immune System and Disorders

6 studies Moderately Positive Echinacea purpurea, as dosed in this study, was not effective in treating URI symptoms in patients 2 to 11 years old, and its use was associated with an increased risk of rash. Moderately Positive Further, while there was no significant difference in the number of URTI between groups, the reported duration was significantly different (C 8.6 days vs. E 3.4 days). The results suggest that Echinacea may attenuate the mucosal immune suppression known to occur with intense exercise and reduce the duration of URTI that subjects incur. Moderately Positive Illness duration and severity were not statistically significant with echinacea compared with placebo. These results do not support the ability of this dose of the echinacea formulation to substantively change the course of the common cold. Moderately Positive In the verum group the median time of illness was 6.0 days compared to 9.0 days in the placebo group, assigning zero time for patients without a complete picture (one-sided p = 0.0112). EC31J0 was well tolerated and clinically effective in alleviating symptoms more rapidly than placebo in patients with a common cold. Moderately Positive Published evidence supports echinacea's benefit in decreasing the incidence and duration of the common cold. Moderately Positive Treatment with fluid extract of Echinacea purpurea did not significantly decrease the incidence, duration or severity of colds and respiratory infections compared to placebo.

Echinacea for Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression

1 study Slightly Positive Further, while there was no significant difference in the number of URTI between groups, the reported duration was significantly different (C 8.6 days vs. E 3.4 days). The results suggest that Echinacea may attenuate the mucosal immune suppression known to occur with intense exercise and reduce the duration of URTI that subjects incur.

What is Echinacea used for?

What are Echinacea's effects on the body?