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ECHINACEA
Studies of echinacea suggest it boosts the immune system by increasing the activity of certain types of white blood cells. "I use echinacea, but I wish the scientific work on it were better," says Varro Tyler, a pharmacognosist at Purdue University and one of the country's leading experts on herbal medicine.
"There have been about 30 studies, and practically every one of them tested a different product. Many were mixtures or different strains of the herb." All of the studies agree, at least, that echinacea rarely causes side effects.
Stick to pure echinacea extract if you want to fight off a cold, flu, or urinary tract infection. (Avoid the versions with goldenseal.) Echinacea purpurea is the species most commonly sold.
The bottom line:
Experts suggest 6 to 9 milliliters of the juice of the aboveground parts of this plant per day. One caution: Because echinacea increases white blood cell activity, herbal experts say that if you have an autoimmune disease, this herb may do more harm than good.
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