Will Echinacea Help Prevent Or Shorten The Length Of A Cold?

Question: Will echinacea help prevent or shorten the length of a cold?

Answer: There's really no good evidence that echinacea either prevents a common cold illness or has any effect on the severity of symptoms or duration of symptoms once you have the illness. There have been a number of studies of echinacea. Some have purported to show some modest benefit. However, I think the weight of the evidence is that Echinacea has no benefit, either on incidence of illness or severity of illness.

More Expert Answers From The OnCall+ Swine Flu And Cold & Flu Centers

Are There Foods To Help Prevent A Cold?

ABC News OnCall+ Cold and Flu Center Home Page

Will Taking Zinc Help Prevent a Cold?

Next: Will Zinc Help Prevent Or Shorten The Length Of A Cold?

Previous: If I Feel A Cold Coming On, Are There Certain Foods I Should Include In My Diet To Help Prevent It?