Which supplement works better to reduce severity of the common cold: echinacea purpurea or elderberry extract?

Ratings at a Glance

Supplement	Effectiveness Rating	Confidence Rating
Echinacea Purpurea
Elderberry Extract

Effectiveness Rating: Echinacea Purpurea vs Elderberry Extract

The effectiveness rating is a measure of the supplements' ability to reduce severity of the common cold. This rating answers the question of whether or not a supplement does what it claims. The evidence backing up elderberry extract is great, while the evidence backing up echinacea purpurea is good. Elderberry Extract should be able to reduce severity of the common cold more effectively, however both supplements should provide positive results.

Confidence Rating: Echinacea Purpurea vs Elderberry Extract

Another factor to take into account when comparing supplements is the confidence rating. This rating is a measure of how valid each supplement's effectiveness rating is. Remember, the confidence rating is a measure of how much you can trust the effectiveness rating. This rating is based on how many studies are included in the database on a supplement's claims. Ideally, you want a high effectiveness AND confidence rating.

Both echinacea purpurea and elderberry extract have low confidence ratings. This means neither supplement has an adequate amount of research to back up this claim. A low confidence rating questions the validity of the effectiveness rating.