The best herbs you've never heard of: Andrographis, guggul, passionflower and vinpocetine are lurking at a health food store near you. Here's why you should pick them up.(Cover Story)

While certain herbs bask in the limelight of consumer appreciation on a near-daily basis--ginseng echinacea. and ginkgo, to name a few--there are other important varieties that have a long history of efficacy and, more recently, the research to support their worth. Read on to discover four herbs that may be foreign to you but are well worth an introduction.

flu andrographins immunity cold

herb name: Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata)

its promise: Fights colds and flu

the science says: Andrographis is an annual s rub native to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. A trusted herb in traditional Chinese medicine, andrographis is believed to dispel heat, restore balance and remove toxins.

Recent research has shown andrographis is adept at fighting colds and flu. A. paniculata effectively relieves symptoms of respiratory tract infections and may even prevent them, according to an April 2004 review in Planta Medica that included seven double-blind studies with a total of 896 subjects.

Researchers at Silpakorn University in Thailand reported similar findings in the February 2004 Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. They concluded that andrographis used alone or combined with Acanthopanax senticosus (a standardized combination known as Kan Jang) is suitable for treating respiratory tract infections.