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FITNESS TIPS : Cold Wars: Echinacea vs. Chicken Soup
Squashing a cold is like curing hiccups: We all have our favorite methods. But do any of them really work?

Topic: Food and Nutrition
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Seems echinacea, that controversial cold-quelling herb, really can help people feel better faster. Researchers pored over 14 different studies and determined that echinacea can shorten a cold's stay by an average of 1.4 days. Now how about that soup?

Immune-System Booster
Certain compounds in echinacea, mainly alkamides, chicoric acid, and polysaccharides, may stimulate the immune system. The end result? Echinacea could help both shorten and prevent colds.

But Before Taking . . .
Always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any herbal remedy. Echinacea may interfere with your other medicines and supplements, or it could be harmful to you if you have certain medical conditions. Find out which products may interact with echinacea.

Chicken Soup Works, Too
Are you devoted to the cold-soothing chicken soup recipe your mom used to make? Well, you don't have to give it up. Seems chicken soup has feel-better powers, too.

SOURCES: Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. Shah, S. A., Sander, S., White, C. M., Rinaldi, M., Coleman, C. I., Lancet Infectious Diseases 2007 Jul;7(7):473-480.

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