Cochrane reviewers assess value of echinacea
17th February 2015
By Amanda Davey
Echinacea has no curative effect on the common cold in either children or adults, according to the results of a Cochrane review.
The analysis of 24 randomised clinical trials also shows little evidence of a preventative benefit.
“The overall evidence for clinically relevant treatment effects is weak,” write the researchers in JAMA. “In individual trials, there was no association of echinacea products with prevention of the common cold.”