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ARTICLES Echinacea: The Master Immune Herb In recent years, the use of medicinal herbs has become increasingly more mainstream. Next to ginseng and garlic, echinacea is unmistakably the best known botanical in Nature's pharmacy. Surprisingly, twenty years ago, when I first used this herb, almost nobody had heard of it. Echinacea has gained most of its popularity in the last ten years. Today it is probably the most sought after herb during the cold and flu season. This is not surprising since it is one of the safest and most versatile herbs that is used for the prevention and treatment of self-limiting infectious conditions. All echinacea species are native to North America. They grow primarily on the prairies and in the transition area between the prairies and the eastern forests. The common name of these herbs (with one exception, a relatively rare yellow-flowered species) is purple coneflower. The various species of purple coneflower have a long history of medicinal use by Native Americans for just about everything from snake bites to cancer. European settlers eventually learned about the benefits of these herbs from Native healers in the 19th century and quickly recognized their importance. Purple coneflower later became one of the most important herbs used by the Eclectic physicians in the late 1800's. Their are three species of Echinacea that are in commonly used for medicinal purposes: common purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) and pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida). Narrow-leaved purple coneflower is the only species that is native to Canada. It grows in the extreme southern part of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In the 1800's, it was this species that was considered to be the most effective of the three. However, modern research is not yet able to elucidate the therapeutic differences between these species. All of them have similar chemical constituents and are believed to have similar therapeutic properties. Traditionally, echinacea is used as a depurative or "blood purifier." This property indicates the ability of an herb to facilitate the breakdown and elimination of toxins from the body via a number of different physiological mechanisms simultaneously. It is taken several times per day over a number of months (often combined with other herbs) for the treatment of chronic conditions associated with significant levels of tissue toxicity. These include rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout, and chronic skin conditions such as acne and eczema. More recently, echinacea has become popular as an immune stimulant. Immune stimulants are herbs that are able to stimulate a short-term, non-specific increase in the activity of various components of the immune system. This helps to increase a person's overall resistance to infection. The immune stimulating properties of echinacea generally become less pronounced after a week or two of continuous use as the immune system adapts to the herb. However, the depurative properties of this herb increase with continued use. In addition, echinacea helps to improve lymphatic function and is believed to have some ability to directly discourage the proliferation of bacteria and viruses. It is also a very effective vulnerary, an herb that facilitates the healing of wounds. Echinacea can be used for both the prevention and treatment of infectious conditions. For preventative purposes, it is best taken three to four times per day for one to two weeks, followed by a break. The length of the break depends on the degree of susceptibility of an individual to acute infections. A typical North American is likely to have some degree of immune deficiency due to high levels of stress and unhealthy dietary and lifestyle practices. For most of us, it is possible to reduce the frequency and severity of infections by taking echinacea one week per month during the cold and flu season. Individuals who suffer from frequent infections will often get better results if they take shorter breaks. In these cases I recommend every second or third week until there is a clear indication that immune function has improved. Afterwards, one week per month will be sufficient. When using echinacea for the treatment of acute infections, it needs to be taken more frequently. You will obtain the best results if you begin taking the herb as soon as you are aware that you are getting sick. You can usually tell if you are about to get sick a day or two before you actually experience significant symptoms. The key is that you must learn to listen to your body. The most common mistake that people make is to wait until their symptoms have fully manifested for a couple of days. Then they go out and buy some echinacea. Under these circumstances, it will still work, but not as quickly or effectively. Begin by taking it very frequently, every 1½-2 hours, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Decrease the frequency of the doses as your symptoms improve. Do not take echinacea less than three to four times per day until two to three days after all of your symptoms have disappeared. Echinacea is effective when used on its own for the treatment of acute infectious conditions. However, it works much more effectively for this purpose when combined with other herbs that support the specific organs or organ systems that are affected by the infection. For example, to treat a cough, you will get the best results if you combine echinacea with herbs that support the lower respiratory system such as elecampane root (Inula helenium), mullein herb (Verbascum thapsus) and white horehound herb (Marrubium vulgare). For influenza, combine echinacea with herbs for the upper respiratory system and fever such as yarrow herb (Achillea millefolium), boneset herb (Eupatorium perfoliatum) and wild bergamot herb (Monarda fistulosa). Many of these herbs have immune stimulating properties of their own. This enhances their ability to complement the properties of echinacea. There are many very effective tincture formulations available in retail stores that include echinacea combined with other herbs. All parts of echinacea have immune stimulating properties. Traditionally, the root has been considered the most active part of the plant. There may, however, be benefits to combining the root with other parts of the plant such as the leaves and flowers. This is because the other parts of the herb contain some immune stimulating constituents that are not present in the root. There are also some differences in the relative constituents from one species to another. For this reason two or more species are often combined. Echinacea is also much more effective when used fresh than when used in a dried form. I generally recommend echinacea products that contain both Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia (and sometimes Echinacea pallida, as well) in the form of a fresh plant tincture that contains a minimum of two thirds to three quarters roots combined with other parts of the plant. Alcohol-based tinctures are usually considerably more effective than the glycerin- or vinegar-based tinctures (known as glycerites and acetics, respectively). However, some of the active constituents of echinacea are complex polysaccharides that do not extract or preserve well in the presence of concentrated alcohol. Echinacea tinctures should therefore contain a relatively low proportion of alcohol (25-30%). Like the vast majority of herbs, this echinacea should be taken on an empty stomach as much as possible. Generally, the best times are ½ hour before meals and before bed. Another important consideration when purchasing a product that contains echinacea is conservation. Unlike Echinacea purpurea, which is widely cultivated, almost all of the Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida that is presently available is wild harvested. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of these herbs are harvested annually and the amount is increasing rapidly. As a result, they are quickly becoming endangered throughout most of their range. It is estimated that wild populations of these species could easily become extinct within five to ten years. In addition, unscrupulous individuals are also harvesting some of the rarer species and selling them as Echinacea angustifolia. Some of these species are only found in a few isolated locations. It is therefore important that you only purchase echinacea products that clearly indicate the species and source of the herbs. Make sure that these products only contain the three species mentioned above and that they are from cultivated sources. For both ecological and health reasons, it is always best to buy herbs that are certified organically grown. Do not buy products that contain any of the rarer species of echinacea, even if they are cultivated. Otherwise you will be helping to create a demand for these species and it will only be a matter of time before the wild populations are wiped out. Echinacea is probably the herb that I am asked about the most. I hope that this information will help you to be able to better understand and use this amazing herb. This article was originally published in Common Ground Magazine, December 1996. Back to List of Articles |
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