Echinacea: Its Efficacy as an Herbal Remedy

It contains compounds that have been shown to act as stimuli to the immune system and aid in guarding against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. It is also believed to assist in the prevention of colds and the flu and relieve their symptoms. These and many more are what many people affirm echinacea can do as an herbal remedy.

Echinacea (also known as purple coneflower) is one of several popular herbs strictly native to eastern and central North America. It has long been used to treat a wide range of illnesses, disorders, and even certain injuries. For a time, the use of echinacea diminished. But persistent research works on the efficacy of echinacea has led to its triumphal comeback as an herbal remedy not only in the United States but in several other countries as well.

Like most other medicinal herbs, echinacea is not without opposition. As a matter of fact, the discourse of proponents on its effectiveness in treating a variety of illnesses continues to meet strong resistance from those who hold a different view about it. But inspite of this, it cannot be denied that medicinal herbs, including echinacea, have earned much attention in recent years.

The compounds contained in echinacea seem to give the immune system a temporary lift by inducing the body to produce more white blood cells to contend against viruses and bacteria. Taken in the right dose and at the onset of symptoms, echinacea appears to help fight off colds and the flu. In one particular study, it was revealed that among several healthy volunteers, those who took 1 tablespoon a day of echinacea tincture (fresh-pressed echinacea juice preserved in approximately 22 percent alcohol) had fewer and less severe symptoms than those who took less than that dose. In fact in that same study, it was shown that taking half a tablespoon of the tincture did not help at all.

Oral echinacea preparations may also help in treating respiratory and urinary tract infections. These commercial preparations differ from one another in terms of the amount of active ingredient they contain. Very little is known about the possible effects of the long-term use of echinacea. Experts, therefore, advise that it be used for no more than eight continuous weeks at a time; allow at least a couple of weeks to pass before taking it again.

Further, experts enumerate those who are not supposed to take echinacea: children, pregnant or nursing women, and people afflicted with diabetes, chronic infectious disease (example: tuberculosis), collagen disease, autoimmune disorder (examples: rheumatoid arthritis or lupus), or multiple sclerosis. [Read the Original Article]

Source: http://www.kcweb.com/herb/echin.htm