Supplement
King of Bitters is a bitter-tasting herb, also called Andrographis, whose main active compound, andrographolide, is studied for its effects on inflammation and immune activity in the body. People mostly look at it for the common cold, and a trial of 316 people found upper respiratory symptoms improved, with moderate evidence, while a smaller trial found sore throat symptoms eased. Each result comes from a single study, and a small HIV trial found no clear difference in CD4 immune cells, so the picture is still thin.
Sources: PMID 10589439; PMID 1797953
- Updated
- How we grade
- 7 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 6
- Outcomes
- 12
- Graded outcomes
- 0122
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 study | 316 people | ||
Studies that measured upper respiratory tract infection symptoms | ||||||
| Sore Throat Symptoms Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 study | 152 people | ||
Studies that measured sore throat symptoms | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sore Throat Symptoms Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 study | 152 people | ||
Studies that measured sore throat symptoms | ||||||
| Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Risk | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 223 people | |||
Studies that measured upper respiratory tract infection risk | ||||||
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- CD4 Lymphocytes
- Early Virologic Response: improves
- Liver Enzymes: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD4 Lymphocytes No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 34 people | |||
Studies that measured cd4 lymphocytes | ||||||
| Early Virologic Response | Improves (the measure goes up) | 17 people | ||||
| Liver Enzymes | Changes; see studies | 17 people | ||||
Immune Health
- CD4 Lymphocytes
- Early Virologic Response: improves
- Liver Enzymes: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD4 Lymphocytes No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 34 people | |||
Studies that measured cd4 lymphocytes | ||||||
| Early Virologic Response | Improves (the measure goes up) | 17 people | ||||
| Liver Enzymes | Changes; see studies | 17 people | ||||
Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 344 people | |||
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 58 people | |||
Studies that measured rheumatoid arthritis symptoms | ||||||
Key findings
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Sore Throat SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- CD4 Lymphocytes
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested King of Bitters products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
7 studies from PubMed
- A phase I trial of andrographolide in HIV positive patients and normal volunteers
- A randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical evaluation of extract of Andrographis paniculata (KalmCold) in patients with uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection
- Efficacy of Andrographis paniculata, Nees for pharyngotonsillitis in adults
- Use of visual analogue scale measurements (VAS) to asses the effectiveness of standardized Andrographis paniculata extract SHA-10 in reducing the symptoms of common cold. A randomized double blind-placebo study
- Efficacy of an Andrographis paniculata composition for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Randomised clinical trial: herbal extract HMPL-004 in active ulcerative colitis - a double-blind comparison with sustained release mesalazine
- Andrographis paniculata Extract (HMPL-004) for Active Ulcerative Colitis