Chicago ? Take a quick look at the evidence for and against the use of herbal cold remedies:

Ginseng: Traditional Chinese medicine uses the extract of this root to restore energy. The commercial herbal supplement Cold-fX contains ginseng. Some studies have found ginseng lessens number and severity of colds. Dr. Ronald B. Turner, a cold virus expert at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, says the studies were poorly designed. Another study found that most ginseng products contained less than half of what was listed on the label. Ginseng may cause insomnia.

Echinacea: The herbal supplement is made from purple coneflower. Early studies suggested some benefit, but more recent studies with better designs have found no effect on preventing colds or lessening their length or severity.

Zinc: An essential mineral, zinc is found in oysters, beans, nuts and seeds. Studies have yielded mixed results. Those studies that showed zinc to be a successful cold fighter may be because subjects could taste the metallic flavor and believed they were getting the real thing rather than a dummy pill, so they reported they felt better. There are scattered reports of damage to the sense of smell from zinc nasal sprays. High daily doses (80 mg) have been linked to urinary problems.