I'm an agnostic in this matter - as in many others. That is, I'm prepared to believe that the tests reported were strictly accurate, and also that the herbalists are not wrong about echinacea.
I know very little about the ins and outs of herbal medicine, but I do know, just as a frinstance, that most "alternative" treatments are intended to be much longer-term than many "dominant" treatments, so over ten days the effects may be exactly as described. Also, I gather that many alternative treatments supposedly (there's my agnosticism right there, see?) work by stimulating the symptoms they are intended to cure, and then boosting the body's defence against them. Or something. (Don't shoot the messenger, OK? I really know almost nothing about this - and it's not something I'm particularly impelled to research.)
Anecdotal evidence, inadmissible in court: I take echinacea most winters, and most winters I have few or no colds. The taking of hay fever and travel sickness remedies seem to coincide with similarly positive effects (contrasting with my use of anti-histamine, for instance, which makes me drowsy and dries me up to a painful degree).
All of which proves nothing, of course.
Like the story of the man standing at a busy city street corner, clicking his fingers. A passer-by asks him why he's doing it, and he says, "It keeps the elephants away." And the passer-by says, "But there are no elephants anywhere near here!" And the man says, "Yes. It works."
When it comes down to it, though, I don't care if the positive effects I experience are down to science or faith. On the one hand, it is conceivable that a given substance may function in a manner that is not apparent to current research methods. On the other hand, if the purchase and ingestion of that substance causes me to believe that I'll be well, and this somehow boosts my resistance to the disorder it supposedly treats, then why not let me at it?
On the other hand, if the purchase and ingestion of that substance causes me to believe that I'll be well, and this somehow boosts my resistance to the disorder it supposedly treats, then why not let me at it?
No reason at all if that's the case, have at it! (although I do have reservations about some 'herbal' medicines with naturally formed compounds which are just as capable of causing nasty side effects and harmful interactions as anything that comes out of the labs of Pfizer or Glaxxo, or natural treatments which aren't active but still cost an arm and a leg, or those which form parts of cosmologies that are so crazy that if you can get people to believe in them, you can get people to believe in anything.) As I say, I have my own faith-based treatment; there's precious little evidence that zinc and vitamn C do a damn thing except make me feel like I'm doing something other than feeling sorry for myself. (As the old adage goes, a cold lasts a full week if left alone, but only seven days if treated).
My worry is that echinacea appears *not* to be a placebo, which can only have either a neutral or positive effect. It appears to be genuinely active and regretfully it's effect seems to be negative. I just hate to think of you taking something intended to shake off a cold which could actually be making you more miserable!
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-03 05:09 pm (UTC)I know very little about the ins and outs of herbal medicine, but I do know, just as a frinstance, that most "alternative" treatments are intended to be much longer-term than many "dominant" treatments, so over ten days the effects may be exactly as described. Also, I gather that many alternative treatments supposedly (there's my agnosticism right there, see?) work by stimulating the symptoms they are intended to cure, and then boosting the body's defence against them. Or something. (Don't shoot the messenger, OK? I really know almost nothing about this - and it's not something I'm particularly impelled to research.)
Anecdotal evidence, inadmissible in court: I take echinacea most winters, and most winters I have few or no colds. The taking of hay fever and travel sickness remedies seem to coincide with similarly positive effects (contrasting with my use of anti-histamine, for instance, which makes me drowsy and dries me up to a painful degree).
All of which proves nothing, of course.
Like the story of the man standing at a busy city street corner, clicking his fingers. A passer-by asks him why he's doing it, and he says, "It keeps the elephants away." And the passer-by says, "But there are no elephants anywhere near here!" And the man says, "Yes. It works."
When it comes down to it, though, I don't care if the positive effects I experience are down to science or faith. On the one hand, it is conceivable that a given substance may function in a manner that is not apparent to current research methods. On the other hand, if the purchase and ingestion of that substance causes me to believe that I'll be well, and this somehow boosts my resistance to the disorder it supposedly treats, then why not let me at it?
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-03 07:28 pm (UTC)No reason at all if that's the case, have at it! (although I do have reservations about some 'herbal' medicines with naturally formed compounds which are just as capable of causing nasty side effects and harmful interactions as anything that comes out of the labs of Pfizer or Glaxxo, or natural treatments which aren't active but still cost an arm and a leg, or those which form parts of cosmologies that are so crazy that if you can get people to believe in them, you can get people to believe in anything.) As I say, I have my own faith-based treatment; there's precious little evidence that zinc and vitamn C do a damn thing except make me feel like I'm doing something other than feeling sorry for myself. (As the old adage goes, a cold lasts a full week if left alone, but only seven days if treated).
My worry is that echinacea appears *not* to be a placebo, which can only have either a neutral or positive effect. It appears to be genuinely active and regretfully it's effect seems to be negative. I just hate to think of you taking something intended to shake off a cold which could actually be making you more miserable!