Echinacea tea - will it really do any good?

Sick as a dog, popping vitamin C and drinking echinacea tea, but feeling like I'm just closing the barn door after the horse has already gotten out, I went in search of info on echinacea tea to see if it will really do me any good at this point.  I found this at the very bottom of a page on ginseng research:

Echinacea tea blend shortens duration of cold symptoms

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study of 95 people, treatment with an echinacea tea preparation (Echinacea Plus®, Traditional Medicinals) early in the course of a cold or flu was significantly more effective in relieving symptoms than a placebo tea. For the 90-day study, participants reported for assignment to one of two treatment groups at the first onset of cold and flu symptoms (scratchy throat, runny nose, fever, etc.). The subjects drank 5 to 6 cups a day of echinacea or placebo tea on the first day of symptoms, reducing the dosage to 1 cup per day for the next five days. Results were assessed with a questionnaire that measured symptom relief, duration of symptoms, and time before subjects noticed a difference in symptoms. The echinacea tea was significantly more effective than placebo in all parameters measured. No side effects were reported in either group. Echinacea Plus is a proprietary blend of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia leaves, flowers, and stems, a water soluble dry extract of E. purpurea root, and flavoring herbs. Eater's Digest® (Traditional Medicinals) was selected as the placebo tea because it was not expected to have a significant effect on cold or flu symptoms at the dosages used in this study. Among other herbs, Eater's Digest contains cinnamon, ginger, and peppermint. Lindenmuth GF, Lindenmuth EB.

The efficacy of echinacea compound herbal tea preparation on the severity and duration of upper respiratory and flu symptoms: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study.

This article originally appeared in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2000; 6(4): 327-334.

Ok then!  It's better than a sugar cube.  I'll brew up some more!

Comments

[Christine Dupuis]

What part of the echinacea plant do I use to make tea? The flower, leaves, stems or roots?

[Christine]

Hi Christine,
You can use all three but the root is stronger than the flower or stem. According to GardenGuides on Echinacea, you should "wait three years before you use the root because the plant's constituents must mature. You can use the leaves and flowers sooner, but the root is the strongest part of the plant."

There's a LOT of good information at GardenGuides, if you're interested in growing and harvesting your own echinacea. Have fun!

[Neb]

Echinacea, for it to work efficiently, one must take certain measures to maintain optimal potency of Echinacea. For instance, echinacea works best; ORGANIC and in root form. Most Health food stores carry this by the bulk which makes it easier to "try it out." Also, you must make sure that the water is NOT TAP. Spring or Distilled water works best. A teaspoon per cup of water(or more water, if desired) should do the trick. Also, Mixed with ORGANIC Goldenseal and slippery-elm won't hurt either.