Echinacea May Activate Allergies

Echinacea May Activate Allergies

SAN DIEGO--Dr. Raymond Mullins, an allergist at the John James Medical Centre inDeakin, Australia, found that echinacea may produce allergic reactions in users. Mullinsreviewed allergic reactions reported to a national database in Australia over the lastdecade and found 24 cases where echinacea precipitated asthma attacks, hives orpotentially fatal anaphylactic reactions.

Mullins noted that the coneflower plant, from which echinacea is derived, is closelyrelated to ragweed--the leading culprit of hayfever. In a follow-up study, 100 people withallergies were given a skin test to see if the supplement would instigate an allergicreaction--20 percent were found to be allergic. "People with allergies or asthmashould be cautious with echinacea, particularly if they are allergic to grasspollen," Mullins cautioned.