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Echinacea
Echinacea angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. pallida
Overview
The Native Americans were the first to recognise the medicinal properties of echinacea. Since then it has become one of the most popular herbal remedies in the world, taken by millions of people every year.
Usage
Echinacea has been used to support IMMUNITY and aid the management of infections for hundreds of years. These traditional indications are supported by pharmacological research demonstrating that echinacea enhances the immune system's ability to engulf and destroy disease-causing microorganisms. Interpretation of clinical studies is more complex, as many different doses and preparations of echinacea have been used in the research, and this may contribute to inconsistent results. However overall, research does appear to validate the use of echinacea to stimulate IMMUNITY and aid the treatment of the common cold and other infections. For example, in a 2007 meta-analysis that pooled the data from 14 separate clinical trials, researchers concluded that taking echinacea decreased the likelihood of catching a cold by 58%, and for those people who did succumb to colds, echinacea reduced the length of the illness by an average of 1.25 days. In line with this research, echinacea can be taken preventatively to improve resistance to colds, flu, bronchitis, coughs, SINUSITIS, throat infections and other infections of the respiratory tract, and is suitable for use by both children and adults. Echinacea can also be taken during infections to help reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of the illness. As a preventative measure, echinacea is often taken alone, however for the treatment of coughs and sore throats, it is commonly combined with expectorant herbs such as licorice, marshmallow and white horehound, with the addition of ginger and eucalyptus to act as decongestants. In children's cough mixtures, echinacea and licorice are sometimes combined with thyme (which has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity), ivy leaf (to help break up bronchial mucus) and red clover (traditionally used to relieve coughs, sore throats and swollen lymph glands in children). In SINUSITIS, hay fever and other conditions associated with mucus congestion of the upper respiratory tract, echinacea is often taken with the antimicrobial herbs horseradish, nasturtium and eyebright (which are prized for their sinus-clearing properties), along with garlic and vitamin C for additional support of the immune system. A similar combination can be used to support the immune system during cystitis and other urinary tract infections, and to help prevent WOUNDS becoming infected. Echinacea is sometimes incorporated into a multi-herbal tonic that works synergistically to support the functioning of all the body organs. Other herbs that are typically included in a blend like this include remedies for the digestive system (e.g. globe artichoke and ginger), immune system (astragalus and Siberian ginseng), cardiovascular system (ginkgo and hawthorn), and nervous system (oats and gotu kola).
