Echinacea

Helpful for some people when taken early in a respiratory illness, but it is not a miracle cold cure.

A rough internal score reflecting quantity, quality, and consistency of human evidence. Not a clinical recommendation.

Meta-analyses suggest small reductions in symptom duration or incidence, though the literature is heterogeneous because species, plant part, and extraction methods differ.

• May modestly shorten cold symptoms
• Supports innate immune signaling
• Best used early rather than late in an illness

Often used for 7-10 days at the start of symptoms as tea, tincture, or standardized extract.

• Nausea
• Rash
• Allergic reactions

Can provoke allergy in ragweed-sensitive individuals and may not suit some autoimmune conditions.

Results vary sharply by product, and many negative trials used different species or preparations than the positive ones.

• Immunity45
• Recovery20