A Second Act For Echinacea

The supposed health benefits of echinacea are many -- notably the herb's reported ability to reduce the duration of colds. That theory had been largely discredited by a series of scientific studies. But wait -- a new analysis of the same data has come to a new conclusion: Cold-sufferers who took echinacea had their symptoms dissipate more quickly, and those who were healthy were 58% less likely to develop symptoms in the first place. Critics say they want to see new data before they believe the claims, but this study lends some credibility to those who rely on echinacea for a natural cold remedy, according to a story in the June 25 Los Angeles Times.