Echinacea, a valuable aid for the immune system

• What the echinacea plant looks like
• History and origins of echinacea
• What is echinacea good for?
• How to use echinacea
• Curiosities
• Bibliography

What the echinacea plant looks like

A member of the Asteraceae family, the same as its famous sibling sunflower, echinacea enjoys an unquestionable reputation among medicinal plants. It is an herbaceous perennial plant up to 1.5 m tall, characterized by thick, black roots and a simple, glabrous stem.

Its leaves are elongated, and the flowers, resembling large daisies, can be red, pink, white or purple, depending on the variety. The genus echinacea has as many as nine species, and in North America, where it is endemic, it is commonly called coneflower, simply because its flower resembles a cone. The name Echinacea, on the other hand, is more imaginatively derived from the Greek word Echinos, sea urchin, referring to the central disk of the spiny flower.

The most popular species of this plant are three: E. Purpurea, E. Angustifolia and E. Pallida. They are mainly distinguished by the color of the flowers, which ranges from bright pink to white, as also inferred from the name.

History and origins of echinacea

Native to the plains of North America, it has been widely used from ancient times by Native American shamans and tribes for its healing properties, and particularly for treating wounds, burns, insect and snake bites, in ointment form, for humans as well as horses. It was then chewed to treat toothaches, throat and stomach infections.

From the wise use of Echinacea by Native Americans later drew European settlers, who began using the plant as a folk medicine, eventually including it as a main ingredient in “Meyer’s Blood Purifier,” launched on the American market for the treatment of rheumatism and neuralgia in the second half of the 1800s. In Europe, where it was imported later, it was recognized as a medicinal plant in 1916.

Today, after much research studying its chemical and pharmacological properties, Echinacea is used medicinally for a wide variety of problems due to its immune-stimulating and anti-inflammatory effects, especially through extracts, ointments, lotions, and infusions.

What is echinacea good for?

It is in the roots and flowers that the active ingredients are concentrated, especially echinoside, a caffeic acid derivative that stimulates the immune system by exerting antiviral, antibacterial and fungicidal action. If taken regularly and on time, it seems to be able to combat the early symptoms of colds, including sore throat, fever and cough. In addition, due to the concentration of flavonoids, this plant is said to be a good remedy to fight different types of infections, from urinary tract to gums.

How to use echinacea

Echinacea extracts can be found on the market in many different forms, such as drops, syrups, ointments, capsules, and tablets.

For a more “slow” and pleasant consumption, we recommend taking echinacea in an infusion. The Remedium No. 2 – Boost by Wilden.herbals is a blend with antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties that can strengthen the immune system, protect the body from risk factors and prevent and treat cold symptoms. It is a blend of 9 herbs in which the pharmacological properties of Echinacea and turmeric are assisted by the action of other herbs such as elderberry and bay leaf. We also recommend it among our morning herbal teas, especially for those days when you need an extra reason to get out of bed.

And for when it’s too hot for herbal tea: try it in a cold version as we recommend here, with the addition of peach and lemon.

Echinacea preparations, due to the healing properties of the plant, are also used for cosmetic use to treat acne, stretch marks and wrinkles, or simply to provide relief to reddened or irritated skin when added to the water of a nice warm bath.

Curiosities

• In the language of flowers, Echinacea symbolizes, in its own right, Strength and Health.
• There are more than 100 medicinal preparations based on echinacea in Germany.
• Echinacea attracts butterflies, bees and other insects when grown in the garden.
• According to magico-esoteric tradition, echinacea is capable of strengthening aphrodisiac spells and potions.

Bibliography

• Sharifi-Rad, M., Mnayer, D., Morais-Braga, M. F. B., Carneiro, J. N. P., Bezerra, C. F., Coutinho, H. D. M., Salehi, B., Martorell, M., del Mar Contreras, M., Soltani-Nejad, A., Uribe, Y. A. H., Yousaf, Z., Iriti, M., & Sharifi-Rad, J. (2018). Echinacea plants as antioxidant and antibacterial agents: From traditional medicine to biotechnological applications. Phytotherapy Research, 32(9), 1653-1663.
• https://www.uppa.it/medicina/farmaci/echinacea/