An over-the-counter herbal treatment believed to have medicinal
benefits has minimal impact in relieving the common cold,
according to research by the University of Wisconsin-Madison
School of Medicine and Public Health. The study, published in
this month's Annals of Internal Medicine, involved echinacea, a
wild flower (also known as the purple coneflower) found in
meadows and prairies of the Midwestern plains. The supplement is
sold in capsule form in drug and retail stores. Dried echinacea
root has been used in homemade remedies such as teas, dried herb
and liquid extracts. The randomized trial involved more than 700
people between 12 and 80 years old. The subjects, all of whom
had very early symptoms of a cold, were divided into four
groups. One group received no pills, a second group received
what they knew was echinacea, and a third group was given either
echinacea or a placebo, but they did not know which.
Participants recorded their symptoms twice a day for the
duration of the cold, up to two weeks. Ac