Natural health: Echinacea for colds and the flu

My mother swears by echinacea to ward off colds and ‘flu. In fact, her health is excellent and she is rarely ill. However, I have read information to suggest it is not safe to be taken over long periods of time. Should I be concerned?

Echinacea is a common go-to herb for the prevention of the common cold and ‘flu— and there is a large body of study suggesting this is for good reason. Even after much research on the action of echinacea during varying stages of the immune cycle, scientists are only scratching the surface in uncovering the potential benefits of this herbal remedy.

There is research into the safety of long-term use of Echinacea, in particular as to whether or not it actually overstimulates the immune system. Clinical studies performed in the past decade show no such findings, however there was an isolated case study published in 2002 suggesting that long-term use may be linked to the development of autoimmune issues.