May 2004 | Choice Health: The Supplement Shelf
Echinacea
by Tod Cooperman, M.D.
America’s top-selling herb? Echinacea. We bought about $188 million of it in 2002. That’s mostly because research shows it can reduce the duration of cold symptoms in adults.
While the supplement’s consumer attraction is nothing to sneeze at, buyers need to know that not all brands of echinacea are created equal. ConsumerLab.com recently tested 11 brands of echinacea products sold in vitamin, health, grocery and big-box stores.
Only six “passed” for containing the total phenols claimed on the label. Among the passing brands were Nature’s Resource, Puritan’s Pride and Vitamin World.
If you are not getting the desired effect from echinacea, you might consider changing brands. One of the failing brands contained less than five percent of the claimed phenol level, not qualifying as a therapeutic dose. Two others contained only 50 and 75 percent of claimed levels. They contained therapeutic levels of echinacea but could prove misleading if consumers were relying on the dose stated on the label.
A fifth product contained the claimed therapeutic amount of echinacea but, disturbingly, 2.5 micrograms of lead per daily serving. It exceeds the limit above which a warning label is required by law in California, one of the more aggressive state legislatures for protecting consumers on health product claims.
Some of the failing products were private-label “house” brands for big retail chains. When buying echinacea, look beyond the brand name. Here is information consumers should expect on a label for echinacea products:
* Species (E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, E. pallida).
* Part of the plant used, such as root or the aerial (above-ground) portions, which include the stem, leaves and flower and is generally referred to as the “herb.”
* Form of echinacea used (whole herb, root, extract, tincture).
* Amount of echinacea per pill or dose in grams/milligrams.
Tod Cooperman, M.D. is president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent supplement testing company. For detailed reports on supplements visit www.consumerlab.com.
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