Re: Echinacea Ineffective

[Guest guest]

Echinacea may be ineffective against colds, but it may enhance

survival (see below).

Tony

===

Brousseau M, SC. Enhancement of natural killer cells and

increased survival of aging mice fed daily Echinacea root extract from

youth. Biogerontology. 2005;6(3):157-63.

" ....Mice consuming untreated diet had a 79% survival by 10 months of

age, while those consuming Echinacea daily in the diet were still 100%

alive by 10 months. At approximately 13 months of age, mice consuming

untreated diet had a 46% survival rate while those consuming

Echinacea, were 74% alive at this time. Moreover, the key immune

cells, acting as the first line of defense against developing

neoplasms in mice and humans, i.e., natural killer (NK) cells, were

significantly elevated in absolute number both in their bone marrow

production site, as well as in the major organ to which they traffic

and function, i.e., the spleen....Thus, it appears that regular intake

of Echinacea may indeed by beneficial/prophylactic, if only for the

reason that it maintains in an elevated state, NK cells, prime

elements in immunosurveillance against spontaneous-developing tumors,

a phenomenon which increases in frequency with progressive aging. "

PMID: 16041619

--- In , " Rodney " <perspect1111@y...>

wrote:

> Hi folks:

>

> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163871,00.html

>

> Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

The pdf is available for the paper corresponding to the below table.

N Engl J Med 2005;353: 340. July 28, 2005. Number 4

Article Summaries

Echinacea for Rhinovirus Infections

Either placebo or a preparation of chemically defined extracts from Echinacea

angustifolia root was administered to 399 volunteers before or after inoculation

with rhinovirus. These rigorously controlled studies found no evidence that

echinacea is effective in treating or preventing the common cold.

N Engl J Med 2005;353:341-8. July 28, 2005. Number 4

An Evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in Experimental Rhinovirus Infections

R. B. and Others

.... Table 1. Effect of Various Extracts of E.angustifolia Root on Rhinovirus

Infection and Common-Cold Illnesses.*

...................................

Treatment Day -7 to 0----Treatment Day 0 to 5----No.of Subjects---No. Infected

(%)

†----95%CI for Difference in Infection Rate vs.Placebo ‡----P Value for

Difference

in Infection Rate vs.Placebo----No.of Clinical Colds in Infected Subjects

(%)----Mean Total Symptom Score **

....................................

CO 2 extract CO 2 extract 45 40 (89) -0.07 to 0.15 0.57 25 (62) 15.45±2.34

60%extract 60%extract 52 42 (81) -0.09 to 0.17 0.46 24 (57) 13.21±1.91

20%extract 20%extract 52 48 (92) -0.03 to 0.17 0.22 24 (50) 12.06±1.74

Placebo CO 2 extract 48 43 (90) -0.06 to 0.16 0.48 27 (63) 14.60±1.70

Placebo 60%extract 48 44 (92) -0.03 to 0.17 0.28 33 (75) 19.20±2.28

Placebo 20%extract 51 44 (86) -0.11 to 0.13 0.89 28 (64) 15.64±1.97

Placebo Placebo 103 88 (85) Reference group —58 (66) 15.05±1.43

..................................

*Plus –minus values are means±SE. CI denotes confidence interval, and CO 2

supercritical carbon dioxide.

†The P value for homogeneity for the infection rates is 0.58.

‡Negative numbers indicate a higher infection rate for placebo, and positive

numbers a higher rate for echinacea treatment.

**The total mean symptom score is the sum of symptom scores on days 1 to 5.

Higher

scores indicate more severe symptoms.

--- Rodney <perspect1111@...> wrote:

> Hi folks:

>

> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163871,00.html

>

> Rodney.

>

>

>

Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

____________________________________________________

Start your day with - make it your home page

http://www./r/hs

[Guest guest]

Hi Tony:

Thanks for that info on echinacea. I have never taken echinacea

seriously so I was surprised to see your link. It motivated me to

take a closer look in pubmed using the words: " echinacea cancer "

and " echinacea immunity " . I found a number of studies which

suggested improved immune response in animals consuming echinacea.

Also significant perhaps was one that reported that consumption of

large quantities of it showed no deleterious effects.

This hasn't quite persuaded me to start taking it. But it certainly

has alerted me to keep my eyes open for future information. So thank

you.

Rodney.

> > Hi folks:

> >

> > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163871,00.html

> >

> > Rodney.