Study finds Echinacea useless for colds (1 Viewer)

[Chu Gai]

Isn't there some saying that goes like, A lie will travel half-way around the world before the truth puts its shoes on? I do share your sentiments with your last statement.

 

[brentl]

Doas anybody think Tom Cruise will have something insightful to say about this?

"I now drugs, do you know drugs?? I've read the paper on Echinacea and it's an evil drug. There are ways to treat this with exercise and yoga THAT ..... ppPFFFt!"

Brent

 

[RobertR]

The cost isn't the relevant aspect. It's the "ignore science and reason" aspect that's objectionable.

 

[Charles J P]

I tried eating clam strips to cure a cold but after only a couple hours my toungue was too tired and my ears hurt from the pressure of her thighs.

 

[TheoGB]

Yeah I did Physics at Uni, but the point is that medicine is a weird thing because of the effect psychology has on the body.

I can't will gravity to stop working no matter how hard I try and someone who claims the Earth is flat is clearly barking up tree so wrong there's not a lot you can do to them. But your attitude to illness can be strongly affected by your mental state.

No one should blindly follow any 'study' that comes along. Clearly you strongly believe echinacea has no place in treatments for the common cold and I'm inclined to agree with you, but in your first post you don't make an argument that encourages anyone who thinks otherwise to agree (my mum for example). After all, most people turn to such things because conventional medicine/science has let them down too often.

Equally, blindly following such things leads to my mum believing in these weird 'microwave shield' blisters that you stick to the back of your mobile phone because apparently studies have shown that they block microwaves. Yeah, right...

 

[John Alvarez]

I thought the aluminum foil hats did that...

 

[RobertR]

Pointing to the study should be all the “argument” one needs. Of course, for people who are determined to ignore science when it conflicts with what they want to believe, this isn’t enough. I’ve learned from experience that it’s often futile to make a scientific argument for something to people who have an “I don’t trust those damn geek science types anyway” attitude.

 

[Drew Bethel]

I don't think that you can conclude on the effectiveness of a study based on a news article - there are way too many details to consider.

I don't do OTC cold remedies. My remedy for colds is large dosages of vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), raw honey with tea, and zinc. Works like a charm everytime. And I don't have any empirical evidence to prove it

 

[Chu Gai]

Unfortunately Robert, 'studies' have been very misused by a number of purveyors of vitamins, alternative treatments, and a host of other things to market them. The studies are poorly done, without controls, or the results have been extrapolated to places they never were intended to lead. The problems are exascerbated by the large funds that are available to lobby for the industries. It's a constant erosion whose sole purpose, under the guise that people have a right to a choice, to free people from their cash. Look at what's happening in places like Belgium where there is serious talk that homeopathic preparations should be nationally funded and rolled into their existing health coverage. It's no different in the US seeing as how the chiropractors have managed to get covered by health insurance. And we bitch about smokers driving up rates?!!

In the extreme examples of where it goes wrong, we have the case in Canada of Louise Lortie who was convicted, although she's on appeal, of being responsible for the death of a young girl. Turned out that the girl was a severe diabetic and I guess her mother didn't trust in the failed sciences. Ms. Lortie had the daughter taken off insulin and instead replaced it with wholesome, natural products like unrefined cane sugar. That worked out so well the poor girl died.

Go give your local hospital a call and see if they offer alternative treatments. You may find, that like one fairly close to me, that you can get treated by some Reiki practioner. It's all cash. The hospital gets their cut and doesn't have to go through all those forms.

 

[Chu Gai]

Just think if you gave that treatment to a child, maybe your child, who was under the age of one Drew. Maybe the honey would give them infant botulism from the spores that it may contain.

 

[JeremyErwin]

So pay your $10 and read the original study.

 

[Drew Bethel]

No need...I'm delighted with the results of my formula.

 

[Chu Gai]

You might be Drew but you wanna bet there's not a host of people out there that will totally disregard that? Honey's one of those old time remedies that grandmothers used for just about anything. Maybe added to a little whiskey.

 

[MarkHastings]

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm.

Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.

Homer: Thank you, dear.

Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.

Homer: Oh, how does it work?

Lisa: It doesn't work.

Homer: Uh-huh.

Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.

Homer: Uh-huh.

Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?

[Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]

Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.

[Lisa refuses at first, then takes the exchange]

 

[John Alvarez]

Really? I had never heard of this.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Who knows...maybe, maybe not. There are a lot of "mainstream" folks around here who only know about OTC remedies. But you're right, my grandmother used it to great effect.

 

[Drew Bethel]

 

[Drew Bethel]

 

[Chu Gai]

mine used it too. we got our honey from a corn farmer who maintained hives for his other crops. used to get gallons of the stuff. it was my dad who'd toss the whiskey in with the tea when we weren't feeling well.

 

[Ted Lee]

damn chu ... that explains a *lot* about you.