Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold
Cochrane · 2014
Reviewed guidance
Echinacea for common cold
Studies of echinacea for the common cold have produced inconsistent results. Some preparations may have small benefits, but it remains unclear whether echinacea reliably shortens an established cold. Products differ by species, plant part and extraction method, so results from one preparation may not apply to another.
What this means
May help with common-cold symptoms, although benefits are uncertain and vary between products.
How to use it: Follow the directions for the specific echinacea product. Different preparations are not interchangeable, and the evidence does not establish one standard dose for treating a common cold.
Safety & cautions
Echinacea can cause stomach pain, nausea or other digestive symptoms. Allergic reactions can occur and may rarely be severe, particularly in people sensitive to related plants. Children may develop allergic rashes. Check with a clinician before use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or alongside medicines, particularly immunosuppressant medicines.
Get medical care for symptoms that are severe, last longer than expected, get worse, or otherwise concern you.
Household preparations
Practical ways to use the ingredient may not provide the same form or amount discussed in the evidence.
Evidence transparency