| A product for common colds prevention is among | | | | active components are extracted from the |
| the most commonly purchased dietary | | | | leaves and stems, not the roots. The plant grows |
| supplements, according to a recent survey. | | | | wild in many areas in southeastern Asia and is |
| Echinacea common cold remedies are more likely | | | | cultivated in China, Thailand and the East and |
| to be purchased than any other herbal or natural | | | | West Indies. It was used traditionally to treat a |
| remedies. Colds cause lost days at work and | | | | variety of ailments, including fever, pneumonia, |
| school, not to mention that the symptoms leave | | | | tonsillitis and respiratory infections. The common |
| you feeling tired, run down and generally | | | | cold is an upper respiratory infection. |
| miserable. It's no wonder that people are | | | | Scientific research does not always support the |
| interested in preventing the number of colds that | | | | use of echinacea common cold remedies. Those |
| they have every year. Most adults have two or | | | | who believe in the effectiveness of the plant |
| three and school age children may have as many | | | | suggest that the quality of the plants used for |
| as twelve per year, according to the National | | | | scientific research may be lacking. It can be |
| Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. | | | | difficult to determine the quality of health |
| Echinacea common cold remedies are | | | | supplements that claim to contain echinacea. |
| recommended by herbalists, because the plant | | | | Studies have shown that some health |
| was used historically by Native Americans. The | | | | supplements do not contain exactly what they |
| root was used raw or boiled and applied topically | | | | claim. When buying health supplements of any |
| to burns, wounds, boils and skin cancer lesions. | | | | kind, it is important to choose products that are |
| The dried root was made into a tea and used as | | | | manufactured by reputable companies. Herbs and |
| an antitoxin, a blood cleanser and to treat | | | | other natural products are relatively expensive; |
| pneumonia, sinus infections, ear infections, ulcers | | | | the quality of inexpensive store brands and |
| of the stomach or mouth, cancer and to relieve | | | | "no-name" products may be questionable. |
| the symptoms of aging. According to the book | | | | Andrographis paniculata or Indian echinacea |
| "Earthway" by Mary Summer Rain, in which the | | | | common cold preventatives are not as widely |
| memoirs of the late No Eyes, a Native American | | | | marketed as other varieties and may be even |
| healer, were compiled, aspen, bayberry bark, | | | | more expensive to purchase, but research has |
| boneset, capsicum, clover, elecampane, fennel, | | | | shown that they effectively stimulate immune |
| garlic, gingerroot, honey, horehound, lobelia, mullein, | | | | system responses. One clinical study showed that |
| skullcap, thyme, white pine, wild cherry bark, wild | | | | those participants who were given andrographis |
| onion and yarrow were all used to treat colds. Of | | | | paniculata for common colds prevention were also |
| all the things that No Eyes mentioned echinacea | | | | less likely to become infected with the influenza |
| could be used for, common colds prevention is | | | | virus than those who were given a placebo. |
| not among them. | | | | Those people who did develop the flu and had |
| Indian echinacea common cold preventatives are | | | | been taking the health supplement had less |
| derived from an entirely different plant. The | | | | severe symptoms of shorter duration and less |
| scientific name is Andrographis paniculata and it | | | | complications. |
| has a long history of use by practitioners of | | | | For more information about andrographis |
| traditional Indian medicine (not Native Americans, | | | | paniculata and other natural products that can |
| who are sometimes referred to as Indians) and | | | | improve immune system responses, please visit |
| other Asian cultures. It is used in Scandinavian | | | | the Immune System Booster Guide. |
| countries for common colds prevention. The | | | | |