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Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
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Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Brent Bauer, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine. He is a consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine and director of the Department of Internal Medicine's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Bauer, a native of Madison, Wis., is also an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School and a graduate of Mayo Medical School.
He serves on the editorial board of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter and EmbodyHealth Newsletter and has been with Mayo Clinic since 1992, first practicing at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., before joining Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., in 1996.
Dr. Bauer's principal research focus is the scientific evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that patients and consumers are using with increasing frequency. He has authored several book chapters and papers on this topic, and is the medical editor of the "Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine." Dr. Bauer also spearheaded a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Gaiam in the creation of a series of 10 DVDs (Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions). These DVDs address common health problems (for example, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure) with integrative medicine approaches that empower people to take charge of their health.
Dr. Bauer is a member of NIH-NCCAM study section and is currently collaborating on over 20 studies being conducted at Mayo Clinic evaluating CAM therapies ranging from acupuncture to valerian. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society; the American Federation for Medical Research; the North Central Cancer Treatment Group and other professional organizations.
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- Cold or allergy: Which is it?
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Lifestyle and home remedies (7)
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- Warm-mist vs. cool-mist humidifier: Which is better for a cold?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (1)
- Echinacea: Can it prevent common colds?
Prevention (1)
- Flu germs: How long can they live outside the body?
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Question
Echinacea: Can it prevent common colds?
Will dietary supplements containing echinacea help me avoid a cold when I'm run down?
Answer
from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Maybe. The latest meta-analysis of studies comparing echinacea with placebo for preventing or shortening the duration of the common cold suggests that echinacea may, in fact, be effective. Researchers performing the analysis also discovered that echinacea may reduce the severity of cold symptoms.
But many other studies show no benefit of echinacea against the common cold. More research is needed before doctors can definitively recommend echinacea to prevent the common cold.
One problem is that echinacea, unlike some other herbal medicines such as gingko or saw palmetto, comes in no standardized form. Echinacea products can contain different concentrations of the herb, and the echinacea extracts used in these products can come from the flowers, stems or roots of three different echinacea plant species. Because of this variation, researchers are hard-pressed to recommend any one dose or preparation of echinacea at this point.
Another drawback: The latest meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of echinacea but couldn't address its safety. Echinacea generally doesn't cause problems for most people, but some people taking the herb have reported side effects such as stomach upset or diarrhea. Echinacea also has the potential to interact with other medications you might be taking, so talk with your doctor before using echinacea supplements.
Next questionFlu germs: How long can they live outside the body?
- Shah SA, et al. Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: A meta-analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2007;7:473.
- Linde K, et al. Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD000530.
- Saper RB. Clinical use of echinacea. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2009.
