With the constant change in weather, it’s no wonder the common cold is still lurking around! The herb Andrographis paniculata is in my top 10 of effective therapeutic herbal medicines. It is incredibly powerful as an immune enhancer and is effective against viruses, bacteria and parasites. At the initial signs of a cold, it is one of the first herbs that I think of and I have seen it literally stop a cold from taking hold. Andrographis is an Indian herb and is also known as “The King of Bitters” and it must the strongest tasting herb in my dispensary. That is why I often use it in tablet form as most patients really don’t appreciate its taste!

This lovely piece of research came from a systematic review, which means that the researchers summarise the results from all the controlled trials completed to date on Andrographis. They concluded that Andrographis is an effective treatment for the common cold. I educate patients to think of this herb as part of their first aide box – keep a bottle in the cupboard and at the first signs of a cold start on an acute dose and nip it in the bud!

Andrographis paniculata in the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Poolsup N, Suthisisang C, Prathanturarug S, Asawamekin A, Chanchareon U.

Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Silpakorn University, Nakhon-Pathom, Thailand. nalinee@email.pharm.su.ac.th

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Andrographis paniculata in the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mean difference in the reduction in symptom severity scores between treatment and control groups was calculated to obtain an overall estimate of effect. RESULTS: Four studies met our inclusion criteria and were reviewed. A total of 433 patients reported in three trials were included in the statistical analysis. Andrographis paniculata fixed combination with Acanthopanax senticosus was more effective than placebo. The mean difference was 2.13 points (95% CI 1.00-3.26 points, P=0.0002) on the symptom severity score. The difference in effects between A. paniculata and placebo was 10.85 points (95% CI 10.36-11.34 points, P<0.0001) in favour of A. paniculata. CONCLUSION: Current evidence suggests that A. paniculata extract alone or in combination with A. senticosus extract may be more effective than placebo and may be an appropriate alternative treatment of uncomplicated acute upper respiratory tract infection.

J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004 Feb; 29(1):37-45.