USe Echinacea to stay healthy
Nov 3, 2008
A native, North American herb, Echinacea was used by the Native American Indians for more purposes than any other herb, and is today the most used herb for fighting infections, colds, flu, and a variety of other maladies. In the 1800s, use of Echinacea took off in the United States and the herb became popular in Europe as well. Echinacea is used in many Western nations because it is proven that the herb promotes immune system health and minimizes some of the symptoms of sickness.
Echinacea is a perennial plant, which reaches around one foot (30 centimeters) to two feet (60 centimeters) in height when it is mature. The plant is slightly spiky and has large pink to purple flowers, depending on the variety. The center of the flower forms a cone or seed head that is also spiky and dark brown to red in color. Three species of Echinacea are used for medicinal purposes: Echinacea Angustifolia, Echinacea Pallida, and Echinacea Purpurea.
An estimated 350 scientific studies have investigated Echinacea’s pharmacology and clinical uses with modern research showing that Echinacea has many immune-stimulating effects. According to studies out of Europe, Echinacea increases the number and activity of circulating immune system cells, as well as enhancing the body’s production of immune-active compounds such as interferon.
The entire Echinacea plant is used medicinally. The plant can be dried for use or pressed when fresh to extract juice. Echinacea is found in teas, ointments, pills, juice, as an extract, and combined with other herbs and fruits. Most commercially bought Echinacea is a mixture of the three major species. Consumers should be aware that because holistic herbs have less regulation than conventional drugs, packages labeled as containing Echinacea might not in fact contain the plant.
Proponents of Echinacea believe that doses of the herb can prevent colds or shorten the recovery time from a cold, especially when taken in combination with other herbs. If cold symptoms persist, professional medical attention should be sought, especially if high fever, heavy coughing, or an increasing sense of exhaustion accompanies the cold. People who have autoimmune disorders or degenerative nerve disease should not use Echinacea.
I use Nature’s Way brand Echinacea, and I have for years. I’ve taken it to boost my immune system, and ever since I’ve encorporated it into my diet, I have never felt better! I love that you guys bring awarness to those who are un-familiar with products such as echinacea. I look to your website when I have questions and when information is available such as this, it really helps! Thanks for going that extra mile to help out customers like me!
My husband uses echinacea every time he thinks he’s getting sick, and he’s kind of a hypochondriac so that is pretty often. He swears it works like a dream and he rarely actually gets sick! I’ve heard that colostrum is really good too.
Zoe, your husband is right, everytime I get a little sniffle I take echinacea and it clears up in a day. This is great stuff, everyone should use it.
I heard there is a particular ingredient found in echinacea supplements that actually exacerbates cold symptoms. It’s some kind of pollen or something that some people are allergic to that actually makes their symptoms worse! Has anyone else ever heard of this? If so, what is the ingredient we should watch out for?