What is Echinacea?
Echinacea is the name of a group of plants in the daisy family. Indigenous to North America, this group has nine species of which only three are used medicinally: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida. Echinacea is also known as the purple coneflower, snakeroot, scurvy root, Indian head, comb flower, black-eyed Susan and hedgehog. The plant’s leaves, stems, flower and roots are used as supplements to make tablets, tinctures, extracts and teas.
It was first used by Native Americans as a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, a treatment for toothaches, coughs, colds, sore throats, to dress wounds and even as an antidote for snake bite!
What is it used for?
Today, it’s a popular herbal remedy for the common cold or flu. Echinacea is considered an immunostimulant. It’s used to treat upper respiratory tract infections, pain, inflammation, migraines and other health issues. It’s also shown to have palliative effects on wound damage.
What does the research say?
Research into the benefits of echinacea has been inconsistent and difficult to draw conclusions from, due to the variations in the species, growing conditions, lack of standardisation of extraction methods, quality of preparation, and dosage of echinacea.
• Animal studies have shown that the three different echinacea species were found to be effective immunomodulators stimulating both the nonspecific, innate immune response, as well as the specific, adaptive immune function. It suggests that echinacea has immunomodulating potential for the overall immune system. Among the three echinacea species, E. purpurea is believed to have the strongest potency on the immune system. [E. purpurea is an ingredient in Efferflu C Immune Booster.]
• This conforms to numerous other studies which have shown that the plant may help the immune system combat infections and therefore help you recover faster from illness.
• Several studies have shown that echinacea can help reduce excess inflammation.
• Test-tube studies showed that echinacea plants may help lower blood sugar levels. In one study, Echinacea purpurea extract suppressed the enzymes that digest carbohydrates, reducing the amount of sugar entering the blood.
• A handful of studies found that Echinacea angustifolia reduced feelings of anxiety in both mice and humans.
• Echinacea plants have plant compounds that function as antioxidants, molecules that defend your cells against oxidative stress.
• It may help treat common skin concerns such as acne, improve skin hydration and reduce wrinkles.
• While echinacea may boost immunity, many studies on the effects on the common cold showed mixed results. However, the German Commission E, WHO, and the Canadian Natural Health Products Directorate have advocated the use of echinacea for the common cold.
Does it have any side-effects?
There are multiple, diverse echinacea products available on the market. They differ greatly in terms of variations in species, parts of the plant used, manufacturing methods, and other herbs or ingredients added to the preparations. Generally, though, echinacea is considered to have a low side-effect profile and is well tolerated for short-term use.
The most common side effect is an upset stomach. Some people can have allergic reactions. Those who are allergic to other plants in the daisy family, have a higher risk of having a reaction to echinacea.
Echinacea also interacts with some heart medications (e.g. amiodarone) and some anti-fungal treatments. The combination of echinacea and these medicines could cause liver damage.
Like all other herbal supplements, the long-term safety of echinacea has not been established.
When choosing your supplement, always check if there is a full list of ingredients on the product, a package insert, a valid company address with contact details and compliance to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which is a prerequisite for health product manufacturing. Read more on How to choose a supplement.
