Health And Fitness News 

Andrographis

Andrographis is nicknamed "Indian Echinacea", though this is misleading as they are completely different plants. It earned that nickname because it has some benefits similar to echinacea, although there are important differences too.

Andrographis is used in both Ayurvedic (Indian) traditional medicine, as well as Chinese traditional medicine. It is an immune stimulant, and has anti-viral, antibiotic, and anti-parasitic properties.

A number of studies have found that andrographis reduces the symptoms of colds and flu, and may also prevent it. One study found there was particular benefit with reducing sore throats, runny noses, earaches, and insomnia (related to the cold).

Dosage, and the quality of the preparation, appears to be important. One study that found andrographis reduced the symptoms of colds used 1200 mg per day with 5% andrographolide in the extract. Andrographolide is the active constituent believed to be responsible for these immune benefits. Good quality herbal preparations are standardized to a certain percentage of an active constituent. The only way to tell is to look at the label. If it doesn't mention anything, assume it isn't standardized and find another preparation, as it's unlikely to be a good quality one. Plus you have no way of knowing if you're taking the right amount.

Another study that found no benefit to colds and flu compared to the placebo also used 1,200 mg a day. And yet another study compared doses at 6,000mg and 3,000mg. It found 3,000mg was not effective yet 6,000mg was.

These discrepancies are probably due to the types of supplements used. Most andrographis supplements recommend 400mg 3 times a day - which equals 1,200mg per day. Given that there are such differences in the results, a good quality supplement should be a priority when using andrographis. Bear in mind that, even though no side effects were reported in the study that used 3,00mg and 6,000mg per day, if they used a supplement that was weaker than usual, you may get side effects in a stronger supplement at those doses.

So, it's best to follow the recommendations on the bottle.

Andrographis should be used with caution if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. And it should not be used if you are taking blood thinners like warfarin, clopidogrel, aspirin, enoxaparin, and dalteparin.