Common food myths debunked!
Echinacea Prevents the Common Cold
Credit: safepatientproject.org
(ABC NEWS) -- For many of us, the change of seasons can bring on the sneezes and stuffy nose. No matter how hard we try to prevent the common cold from ruining at least one good week, it always seems to find a way to settle in. Of the many natural remedies that are offered as cures for the common cold, non may be more effective at preventing the viral infection than the herbal remedy Echinacea. A recent randomized study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that those who took one 2400 mg of Echinacea extract per day over a 4-month period were able to ward off a cold. Still, a majority of studies overall are not convincing about the protective effects of Echinacea. There really is no tried and true medication or supplement yet that will ward off a cold, Ayoob said. Taking vitamin C at the hint of a cold is probably our best shot, according to Ayoob. "The duration and severity may be minimized, but it won't prevent the cold," he said.
