The Wonders of Echinacea

by Rev. Laura Perry, MSNH

What is hard to pronounce, listed as a weed in most gardening books, and now the most popular medicinal herb in the U.S.? Echinacea! (Say eck-i-NAY-shuh). This lovely purple coneflower, one of North America's native wildflowers, has been used medicinally for centuries. Now it is available commercially in many different forms. So what is it good for? How can it improve your health and how much should you take?

Echinacea is one of the safest herbs in common use today. Commercial packaging often includes warnings against taking echinacea during pregnancy, but recent research at the University of Toronto suggests that echinacea is quite safe for pregnant women. Echinacea is also safe for children, but please consult a knowledgeable health care practitioner if you are considering giving it (or any herb) to a child under age two.

There are three main species of echinacea available as herbal supplements and as seed and plants for gardening. The most common of these is Echinacea purpurea, the “standard” purple coneflower. The other two species are Echinacea angustifolia, also a purple coneflower, and Echinacea pallida, a pale lavender version. All three have similar medicinal properties.

The root of Echinacea angustifolia, however, loses is potency quickly when dried, so it must be used immediately after digging or made into a tincture while still fresh. Capsules and teas are, by their nature, made of dried plant matter, so stick with the E. purpurea and E. pallida species in these forms. Tinctures that include E. angustifolia should note on the label that they are made with the fresh (not dried) root for the greatest potency.

Traditionally, just the root has been used for medicinal purposes. But preparations containing the whole echinacea plant in addition to the root are the most effective, though the ones containing just the root still work well for most people.

This useful herb is popular as a remedy for colds and flu-type viruses. It acts on the body's immune system, raising the number of white blood cells and increasing their ability to destroy invading microbes. In some people echinacea also tends to cause a fever, which is part of the body's normal immune response to disease.

Because echinacea increases the body's immune response, people who have autoimmune diseases are generally cautioned against using it. Such diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma and type I diabetes. In some people, echinacea can increase the severity of symptoms in autoimmune diseases. If you have an autoimmune disease, use echinacea with care and pay close attention to your body's response to it. Immediately stop using the herb if you experience an increase in your symptoms.