Small Study Shows Echinacea
Stimulates Immune System
A new, preliminary study
shows the popular over-the-counter herbal supplement echinacea does
stimulate immune system activity, but the lead researcher warns it should not be
taken chronically.
Susan Percival of the University
of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Gainesville gave 10
healthy, college-age men echinacea supplements for four days. She took blood
samples from the men on days 1 and 4 of the study. By day 4, she found the men's
white blood cells had three times greater an ability to destroy bacteria.
.
Recent research has produced conflicting
results on the purple coneflower. Some research has claimed echinacea prevents
the common cold
by boosting the immune system. Percival disagrees. "I don't think echinacea is
supposed to prevent colds," she tells OnHealth. "I don't think we should take it
chronically. I think it should be taken at the first signs of
illness."
In a statement released by the
university Percival says, "A stimulated immune system produces a lot of free
radicals, and we know from other research that free radicals are not a good
thing. We want the free radicals to kill microorganisms, but we don't want free
radicals being produced all the time because they will damage healthy
tissues."
Percival says this study will
be expanded to include a larger group of men. The study was funded by General
Nutrition Center, Inc., which sells herbal
supplements.
