Echinacea Benefits

Echinacea finds its origin in North America. Its medicinal uses are widely known, especially in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to be a 'cure-all' medicine. This is because, it is able to heal any disease, from common cold to cancer. It has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Hence, it can fight against any sort of microbial infection. It owes its anti pathogenic activities to a combination of constituents that include flavonoids, polysaccharides, phenols, alkylamides and some minerals like copper, potassium, iodine and iron, along with vitamins A, E and C. There are three varieties of Echinacea that are of medicinal use. These are Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida. All the three varieties can be used to boost immunity. The health benefits of all the kinds of Echinacea are almost similar.

Benefits of Echinacea

• Echinacea is one of the most commonly used herbal remedies for curing respiratory illnesses. It is known to shorten the duration of common cold, coughs and flu.
• It provides relief from enlarged lymph glands and sore throat. This is one of the common Echinacea benefits.
• It stimulates your body's immune system. It does it by activating the production and migration of white blood cells, which fights against infection.
• One of the body's immune responses against microbes include phagocytosis, which is the consumption of foreign bodies by white blood cells. Echinacea is believed to increase phagocytosis by 20-30%.
• Because of antibacterial properties, it cures many infectious diseases. Echinacea tea is prescribed for treating urinary tract infection by herbalists.
• Echinacea extract is applied topically for curing genital herpes and candidiasis.
• It helps your skin to fight against infections, heal wounds and regenerate itself.
• It strengthens the defense mechanism of your body by increasing the levels of a chemical called poperdin, which in turn activates part of immune system.
• Echinacea assists in the production of interferon. It increases antiviral activity against various viral infections like influenza and herpes.
• It is used externally for treating psoriasis, arthritis, lymphatic swelling, eczema and other inflammatory skin diseases.
• Echinacea helps the body in healing skin conditions such as burns, insect bites, acne and ulcers.
• It inhibits an enzyme, called hyaluronidase, released by bacteria. Hyaluronidase aids the bacteria in invading healthy cells. Thus, it prevents the spread of bacterial infection.

The common method of deriving the benefits of Echinacea is to drink echinacea tea. It is quite simple to make. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Echinacea to a cup of filtere d water. Mix well and heat the mixture. Bring it to boil, and then allow it to simmer for 5-10 minutes. You may take a cup of Echinacea tea three times a day. To be on the safer side, consult a herbalist for safe dosage instructions. In case, you prefer to take echinacea herbal powder in tincture form, take 1-3 millimeter of it for maximum three times a day.

Echinacea benefits a majority of human population. But there can be some who develop echinacea side effects. Those people who are allergic to chrysanthemums, ragweed, daisies and marigolds are commonly found to be allergic to Echinacea too. They are prone to develop certain side effects with Echinacea intake. Generally, intestines gets affected, and hence the complications include abdominal pain and problems associated with defecation. Some people may also experience skin rashes, asthma and anaphylaxis. Echinacea directly affects your immune system. Therefore, its usage is not recommendable to someone who is suffering from any sort of immunity related disorders. Some examples of such disease conditions can be AIDS, leukemia and many autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Hence, you need to consult a herbs specialist, follow his instructions and suggestions in order to safely obtain its benefits.