From The November 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News

NIH Funds Echinacea Study

Bethesda, Md.—The National Institutes of Health, based here, is funding a two-year trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the popular herb echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) to treat upper respiratory infections in children. The trial began Sept. 18 at the University of Washington Child Health Institute in Seattle. The collaborative study also includes Bastyr University, one of the nation's four universities for natural health sciences, that is based in Kenmore, Wash.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial will involve 600 children ages two to 11. The project aims to determine if echinacea shortens the duration and/or lessens the severity of upper respiratory tract infections (URIs). Researchers will also evaluate whether echinacea helps reduce the rate of secondary bacterial infections associated with URIs, and determine if there are any significant side effects from the herb.