Researchers report that an herbal remedy sometimes used to treat seasonal allergies performed no better than a sugar pill in a new study. The herb, butterbur, was no more effective than placebo at relieving symptoms of intermittent allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever. However, lead author Dr. Brian J. Lipworth of the University of Dundee in Scotland told Reuters Health that his team found earlier this year that the herb was more effective than placebo and as effective as the allergy drug Allegra (fexofenadine) at treating year-round allergic rhinitis.
