Providing evidence for use of Echinacea supplements in Hajj pilgrims for management of respiratory tract infections

Mohammad Ali Daneshmehr; Ali Tafazoli

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.03.001

Providing evidence for use of Echinacea supplements in Hajj pilgrims for management of respiratory tract infections

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016 May:23:40-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.03.001. Epub 2016 Mar 16.

Authors

Mohammad Ali Daneshmehr¹, Ali Tafazoli²

Affiliations

¹ Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), International Campus, School of Pharmacy, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: daneshmehr.ma@iums.ac.ir.
² Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), International Campus, School of Pharmacy, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: Tafazoli.m.a@gmail.com.

PMID: 27157957
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.03.001

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate potential applicability of Echinacea use for management of respiratory tract infections in Hajj travelers.

Method: The PubMed database was explored with Mesh terms "Echinacea" and "Respiratory Tract Infections".

Results: A hundred journal articles were yielded but only 66 most relevant ones used for the review.

Conclusion: There is a considerable amount of evidence that shows effectiveness of Echinacea products in prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections in this setting. Although there are some controversial findings, utilization of standardized products with adequate dose or combinations with other immune-stimulants in controlled and well-designed trials will be highly encouraging.

Keywords: Echinacea; Hajj; Pilgrims; Respiratory tract infections; Travelers.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Dietary Supplements*
Echinacea*
Holidays
Humans
Islam*
Plant Preparations* / adverse effects
Plant Preparations* / therapeutic use
Respiratory Tract Infections* / drug therapy
Respiratory Tract Infections* / prevention & control

Substances

Plant Preparations