|
Andrographis herb combination effective against
cold and flu
Two consecutive randomized, double-blind clinical trials concluded
that a fixed combination of Andrographis paniculata and
Siberian ginseng (eleuthero, Eleutherococcus senticosus)
was significantly more effective than placebo in relieving symptoms
of cold or flu. In the first trial (a pilot study of 46 subjects)
the total symptom score showed a tendency toward improvement,
while in the second (a larger, phase III clinical study involving
179 participants), highly significant improvement was seen in
both total symptom and total diagnosis scores in people taking
the herbal formula. For the pilot trial, subjects were treated
for a minimum of three and a maximum of eight days; in the phase
III trial, subjects took the herbal formula for exactly three
days. Results were assessed by both participants and physicians.
In both studies, throat symptoms demonstrated the most significant
improvement. Melchior J, Spasov AA, Ostrovkij OV, et al. Double-blind,
placebo-controlled pilot and phase III study of activity of standardized
Andrographis paniculata Herba Nees extract fixed combination
(Kan jang) in the treatment of uncomplicated upper-respiratory
tract infection. Phytomedicine 2000; 7(5): 341-350.
|
