A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2005;11[6]:1021–1026) examined whether Echinacea supplementation might help prevent upper respiratory infections (URIs) in children.
The study analyzed data from 402 children who had participated in an earlier randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of Echinacea in treating URIs. Researchers used data from that original trial to assess whether children who received Echinacea experienced protection against subsequent infections.
Results showed a modest reduction in repeat URIs among children who had taken Echinacea. In the Echinacea group, 55.8% of children experienced a second URI, compared with 69.2% in the placebo group.
The findings suggest that Echinacea may offer limited protective benefit against recurrent upper respiratory infections in children, though the effect was modest.
