Herbs Used to Treat Colds

By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

Have you heard? Echinacea, the herb many of us rely on to get us through cold and flu season , doesn’t work. At least that’s what all of the news outlets reported last week. But is that the whole story? Hardly!

This “breaking news” is based on a study in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that Echinacea didn’t prevent colds or ease the symptoms once you’ve sucumb to the virus. But before you believe everything you read in the paper or see on TV, let’s take a look at the “evidence.”

The Last Word?

This government-funded study met all the criteria of a well-designed clinical trial – it was large, randomized, blinded and involved several medial institutions. At least that’s what the researchers who conducted the study say.

The two-part study involved 339 healthy college students who were put up in a hotel. To test how well the herb prevents colds, one group of students was randomly assigned to receive either 900 mg. of Echinacea or a placebo each day for seven days before being infected with one of the most common cold virus – the rhinovirus.

To check Echinacea’s impact on cold symptoms, a second group of students was first given the virus and then either the herbal preparation or the dummy treatment. Both groups were then watched for five days.

At the end of the trial, the researchers found that the Echinacea had no effect on either rates of infection or the severity of symptoms, leading them to conclude that Echinacea doesn’t prevent or treat a cold. Of course, they couldn’t just present their findings and be done with it. To add insult to injury, the lead author of the study, Dr. Ronald Turner, did a bit of editorializing, adding that “Our study adds to the accumulating evidence that suggests that the burden of proof (of efficacy) should lie with those who advocate this treatment.”

Do I detect a smidgen of bias here?

Flawed Findings

What the major news outlets didn’t emphasize was the fact that this study has a few flaws in it.

According to Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, most herbalists and naturopaths recommend using Echinacea more often and at a considerably higher dose than the researchers used. In fact, this new study used a dose that was only one-third as strong as the dose normally recommended to combat a cold. Earlier studies that found Echinacea ineffective also relied on low doses – from 300 mg. to 1,000 mg. a day, far below the minimum 3,000 mg. a day recommendation. Another potential problem is that that the Echinacea used in the study was made in a university lab using Echinacea angustifolia – a form of the herb no longer used in commercial preparations.

So is this study the last word on the efficacy of Echinacea? Not even close! Even the researchers who conducted the study don’t agree on the findings. One of the study’s authors, Dr. Rudolf Bauer, noted that the study should be repeated with other Echinacea species, preparations and doses. Another, David Gangemi, PhD, of Clemson University, said that, in retrospect “if we go back and we look at some of the other products that are out there (on the market) maybe we’re only one tenth the level we should be.”

Behind the Results

Why do universities keep doing studies on herbs and supplements that seem doomed from the start? Are they really trying to undermine natural medicine? Here’s the story behind the story: Not surprisingly, Echinacea is one of the most popular herbs used to treat colds. With annual sales of more than $300 million, it takes a substantial bite out of Big Pharma’s profits from over-the-counter cold remedies. So naturally, this new study is a rallying call for the pharmaceutical industry and opponents of natural medicine. And some of them are sending their message loud and clear. In an editorial that accompanied this new study, Dr. Wallace Sampson questioned why the government is wasting tax dollars on funding alternative medicine studies, “some of which have turned out to be nothing but snake oil.”

Now, on the surface, Dr. Sampson’s credentials sound credible, even impressive. After all, he’s a clinical professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University and the editor-in-chief at the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that he’s also a supporter of QuackWatch, a website devoted to undermining holistic medicine, and member of the Bay Area Skeptics in San Francisco, a group that considers alternative medicine “pseudoscience.” Dr. Sampson also co-founded the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) – an organization with ties to the American Medical Association – which recently lost a lawsuit in an effort to have homeopathy outlawed and has, in the past, tried to eliminate the chiropractic profession.

And what about Dr. Turner, the lead author of the study? It turns out that he has links to ViroPharm, a pharmaceutical company that has partnered with Schering-Plough on Pleconaril, a drug trageting the common cold! According to ViroPharm’s annual report, the company has already received $16 million from Schering-Plough and anticipates another $65 million, along with royalties if the drug ever makes it to market. Of course, we don’t know if Dr.Turner will reap any of these benefits, but it certainly looks like he has a conflict of interest. But you won’t hear any of this from the mainstream media. The lesson here, of course, is to do you homework before naively swallowing whatever spin the network knuckleheads are offering, especially when it comes to natural medicine. Herbs work when they are used properly. And they have far fewer side effects than prescription or over-the-counter drugs. But then, if you’re a regular reader, you already knew that.

One Last Thing ...

Those of us who know how well Echinacea works will keep taking it whenever we get the sniffles. But there are also other herbs that can help fortify the immune system or ease the severity of a cold.

Andrographis, an herb long used in traditional Indian and Chinese herbal medicine, contains bitter constituents that have immune-stimulating and anti-inflammatory actions. In clinical trials, taking just 100 mg. of a standardized andrographis extract twice a day helped reduce the symptom severity in people suffering from the common cold.

Boneset is another traditional herb used by Native Americans to treat colds and flu. Modern studies show that these folks may have been on to something since a particular polysaccharide in boneset was found to stimulate immune cell function. It also induces sweating, which may be especially helpful if you have a fever.

This Just In ...

Want to prevent bladder cancer? Maybe it’s time to start adding more broccoli to your diet. Researchers from Ohio State University have pinpointed one of the compounds in broccoli that helps to prevent or slow the progress of the disease in lab experiments.

The Ohio team isolated compounds called glucosinolates from broccoli sprouts. During chopping, chewing and digestion, these phytochemicals morph into nutritional powerhouses called isothiocyanates – compounds that the scientists believed play a role in inhibiting cancer. When tested on two human cancer cell lines and one mouse cell line, these isothiocyanates significantly decreased the growth of the cancer cells. And the strongest effect was on the most aggressive cancer cells.

This new study builds on earlier research that found that men who ate two or more half-cup servings of broccoli per week had a 44 percent lower incidence of bladder cancer compared to men who ate less than one serving each week.

But broccoli isn't the only veggie with health benefits. Other cruciferous vegetables – including cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale – may also contain cancer-fighting phytochemicals. Cruciferous veggies have an effect on other types of cancer too, because they contain compounds that help detoxify carcinogens. So the next time you’re at the grocery store, load up! It may well be the tastiest preventative medicine you’ll ever enjoy.

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References:

“Broccoli packs powerful punch to bladder cancer cells.” Ohio State Research News. 28 July 2005.

Turner RB, Bauer R, Woelkart K, et al. “An evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in experimental rhinovirus infections.” New England Journal of Medicine. 2005;353:341-348.

Turner RB. “The treatment of rhinovirus infections: progress and potential.” Antiviral Research. 2001;49:1-14.

ViroPharma. 2004 Annual Report. Available at http://ccbn.mobular.net/ccbn/7/910/967/ or http://www.viropharma.com/.