What are the medicinal purposes of echinacea?
Today, people use echinacea to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu, and reduce symptoms, such as sore throat (pharyngitis), cough, and fever. Many herbalists also recommend echinacea to help boost the immune system and help the body fight infections.
What are the benefits of echinacea?
Echinacea may strengthen your body’s immune system, helping you fight colds and flus caused by viruses or bacteria. Some research shows that the echinacea plant contains chemicals that help your body create white blood cells.
Which echinacea is medicinal?
There are nine different species of Echinacea, but only three of them are used as medicinal herbs (E. purpurea; Echinacea pallida; and Echinacea angustifolia). Purple coneflower has been used for centuries in both traditional and folk medicine.
What is the active ingredient in echinacea?
The active ingredients of echinacea extracts are thought to include alkamides, chicoric acid and polysaccharides.
Who should not take echinacea?
Do not take echinacea if you have any of the following conditions: an autoimmune disorder (such as lupus) multiple sclerosis. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Is echinacea good for your stomach?
They found significant changes in the balance of normal gut bacteria — including an increase on bacteroides. “If a person is taking echinacea for a short period of time and has a healthy gastrointestinal tract, I don’t think it is a terrible risk,” Foote says.
Can echinacea make you sleepy?
Some side effects have been reported such as fever, nausea, vomiting, unpleasant taste, stomach pain, diarrhea, sore throat, dry mouth, headache, numbness of the tongue, dizziness, insomnia, disorientation, and joint and muscle aches. In rare cases, echinacea has been reported to cause inflammation of the liver.
Can you take echinacea with other vitamins?
No interactions were found between echinacea and multivitamin. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.