Echinacea
This is a pretty comprehensive review of this popular herb. Personally, I don’t ever remember recommending echinacea in my office. Most often, if some is getting sick or is sick, it’s more important to pay attention to what we shouldn’t put into our bodies, rather than what we should be putting in. In other words, refined carbs and trans and saturated fats can suppress the immune system so avoiding this garbage should be a primary approach to staving off illness. I do often recommend high dosages (1 gram every hour until bowel tolerance is reached–stools become loose or increased gas) of vitamin C if someone is not feeling well.
Echinacea – January 1, 2003 – American Family Physician