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A New Herb for Colds

By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com

January 3, 2006

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There's a new cold-busting herbal supplement in town -- it's called andrographis. The herb is known as "Indian echinacea" because it comes from an Indian shrub and has many of the benefits of echinacea.

It's long been used in Scandanavia and Europe and now it's becoming popular here.

So what's the data? Well, the science on andrographis is scarce. What little we know shows it may actually help shorten colds, although not prevent them.

For example, in one study of 50 people, 55 percent of those who used the herb reported milder symptoms than usual; 75 percent got better in five days compared to half that in the placebo group.

About 59 percent found that the herb helped reduce their runny nose and muscle aches and said they got better within four days.

Another study found that the herb worked just as well as acetaminophen (Tylenol) for aches and pains.

Unfortunately, we don't know whether this has long-term benefits or what its long-term safety problems might be.

So if you get a cold, try andrographis in a small dose for a short time.

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