Okay, so I'm skeptical-not of Echinacea itself but because I have my doubts that populating the stores with products that have Echinacea in the name but very little of the herb actually in the product is going to help anyone during this cold and flu season. As for the herb itself, I think it has possibilities.
Echinacea, commonly known as purple coneflower, is native to North America and has its medicinal origins in Native American cultures. It was used to treat a variety of things, most notably illnesses which we now know today were viral in origin.
Modern research has shown that extracts from the herb have the ability to enhance the immune system by activating the white blood cells that fight infection. When taken at the onset of an upper respiratory infection, there is evidence that it shortens the length of the illness.
Some people believe that they should take Echinacea all winter for the prevention of colds or the flu. Unfortunately, the available research discounts this as being effective. More likely you will still catch the illnesses but recover more quickly from them when you do.
One interesting point about the research done on Echinacea. Many of the human studies used an injectable form of the herb and not the oral form we buy at the store. This makes it difficult to know whether we can make the same conclusions about the Echinacea we take and that which was used in the studies (another good reason to always read the fine print).
The recommended daily dose of Echinacea is one gram (1000 mg) of the dried herb three times a day. Anyone allergic to ragweed, daisies, sunflowers or marigolds might also be allergic to Echinacea. Experts recommend taking it for no longer than eight weeks at a time. Again the research supporting its use for the prevention of upper respiratory infections is much weaker than that for the treatment of the infection once it starts.
As for all the products out there dabbling in "Echinacea hype", I hope they taste good because their medicinal value is questionable.
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