57101

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/28/2022 - 15:54
Top Product Attributes

  • Common Name

    Echinacea

  • Botanical Name

    60% E. purpurea/40% E. angustifolia

  • Part Used

    Whole plant and root

  • Alcohol

    45%

  • Dose

    15 to 40mL weekly

Echinacea is primarily an immune stimulant, although many herbalists also consider it an immunomodulant, mainly encouraging non-specific immunity. It can also have an effect on allergies and autoimmune conditions.

Main Product Attributes
A guide to Echinacea and its properties

  • Traditional Use

    The Eclectics, a group of practitioners who were prominent around the late 19th and early 20th Centuries in the United States, used E. angustifolia as one of their primary medicines for septicaemia and infected blood, wounds and mucous membranes. E. angustifolia was the only species of echinacea they used. The root of E. angustifolia is used and it is harder to grow so is therefore often more expensive to buy. The use of E. purpurea came about not only because it is easier to grow but due to intense German interest in the plant during the 1930s.

  • Actions

    Immunomodulator, modulates inflammation, sialagogue, antimicrobial, circulatory stimulant, lymphatic, alterative, antipyretic, antioxidant, vulnerary

  • Indications

    •    Viral, bacterial and parasitic infections
    •    Prevention and treatment of upper respiratory infections (especially with swollen glands) including the common cold, influenza, sinus, throat and lung infections
    •    Infected wounds, acne, boils, abscesses, dermatitis, psoriasis, septicaemia, mouth infections, herpes virus, warts, venomous bites
    •    Vaginal candidiasis, urinary tract infections 
    •    Fevers
    •    Adjuvant therapy to reduce chemotherapy and radiation-associated side effects

  • Energetics

    Cooling, drying

  • Use in Pregnancy

    Generally considered safe when used in recommended doses.

  • Contraindications & Cautions

    Echinacea is well tolerated although allergic reactions are possible in rare cases. It is contraindicated in people with allergies to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family of plants (e.g. chamomile, ragweed). Patients being treated for autoimmune diseases should be cautious due to echinacea’s immune-stimulating effects.

  • Drug Interactions

    Avoid with antineoplastic (such as etoposide) drugs and asthma or atopic medication. Caution with cyclophosphamide (chemotherapy), warfarin and immunosuppressant drugs.

  • Dietary Information

    Vegan friendly. Gluten and dairy free

  • Substitutes

    Thyme, Thuja, Garlic, Andrographis, Cat’S Claw, Calendula, Elderberry