Echinacea
Source: roots, flowers and seeds.
Actions: immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory,
antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-allergenic,
detoxifying.
Therapeutic uses: to prevent and fight infections,
especially colds, flu, coughs and sore throats. Can be
helpful for chronic fatigue syndrome, allergic
conditions such as asthma and hay fever, shingles,
herpes and mouth ulcers, or applied topically for
eczema, boils or acne.
Typical preparation: tablet/capsule, liquid tincture,
cream, decoction (gargled for sore throat).
Contraindications: rare, but high doses (over
1,000mg) can sometimes cause dizziness or nausea.
For the best effect, it shouldn't be taken for more than
one to two weeks at a time.
Echinacea is thought to serve as a stimulant to the
body's immune system by activating white blood cells,
whereby making it more difficult for foreign bodies to
infect cells. Echinacea is one of the most popular herbal
remedies for respiratory infections. Echinacea's positive
effects on the immune system have also been studied
extensively for cancer and AIDS patients. Some
researchers believe that stimulating immune function
actually may cause cancers and AIDS to progress
faster, while others find a disease-relieving effect from
using Echinacea. Some evidence from other clinical
studies appears to indicate that Echinacea may have
antiviral and antifungal effects, possibly adding to its
infection fighting ability. However, Echinacea's use in all
of these conditions needs further study before it can be
recommended
