Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold
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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Adjuvant Efficacy and Safety of Angong Niuhuang Pill in Viral Encephalitis Treatment
Published on: April 19, 2024
Marlies Karsch-Völk1, Bruce Barrett2, Klaus Linde1
1Institute of General Practice, Technische Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar, München, Germany.
Clinical Question:
Are Echinacea products associated with a reduced incidence and a shorter duration of common colds compared with placebo?
Bottom Line:
Individual prophylaxis trials show no association with prevention of the common cold, but exploratory meta-analysis suggests that Echinacea products may be associated with a small reduction in cold incidence. In treatment trials, there was no association of Echinacea products with a shorter duration of colds.
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