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| Echinacea |
| Echinacea purpurea |
| Other Names: | Purple Coneflower |
| Parts Used: | Flowers, Leaves, Root, Stalk |
| NOTE: Some say that only the FLOWER is the active part, others say only the ROOT is. Personal experience and experience of fellow herbalists show that ALL parts work. |
| Systems: | Immune |
| Actions: | ALTERATIVE, Anti-microbial, Bactericide, IMMUNOSTIMULANT, Insecticide |
| Note: E. purpurea is said by some to lose its medicinal value when it is dried or tinctured. It is also considered by some to be weaker than E. angustifolia syn. E. augustifolia. | |
| NOTE: There is quite a bit of dispute over whether Echinacea is an antibiotic or not. I have been taught that it is not, though some still insist that it is. Echinacea boosts the body's own immune system, which creates its own antibiotics, however, this does not make it (the herb) an antibiotic. Research has also been done on the plant to determine if it is an antibiotic or not. Results proclaim that Echinacea is definately NOT an antibiotic so in these files it will not be listed as such. |
| Uses: | ||
ALTERATIVE, Bactericide, Bites (brown recluse, snake, spider), Bladder (infection), Boils (general, recurring), Bronchitis, Burns, Cancer, Canker sores, Colds, Flu, Herpes (sores), IMMUNOSTIMULANT, Infections (bladder, general, sinus, throat), Inflammations (chronic, general), Insecticide, Lungs (removes pollutants from), Preventative (colds, flu), Sinus (infections), Sinusitis, Sores (canker, general, hard-to-heal, herpes), Throat (infections, sore), Toothaches, Wounds (general, hard-to-heal) |
| Contraindications: | Generally safe, even in large doses, however those with auto-immune disorders are cautioned against using this plant. |
| Notes: | When purchasing Echinacea from an herb shop, be sure to ask the herbalist for a small pinch of the herb before purchasing. Place just a bit in your mouth and chew it twice to break it up and wet it a bit, then set it on the tip of your tongue. If you feel a tingle (or even in some cases a mild burning), then it is good quality Echinacea! Be warned, though.. some people can't stand the taste of Echinacea, so you might not want to try this, or have a tissue on hand to spit the herb back out upon. | |
| A common adulterant (added filler) to commercial dried E. purpurea is Wild Quinine root. If you're having a reaction to some Echinacea you've purchased, try to get some unadulterated Echinacea to see if it was the adulterant you were having trouble with. You shouldn't have to worry about tinctures and prepared formulas as they should be free from adulterants. | ||
| Echinacea is said to work best on non-chronic illnesses. | ||
| Preventative: | Many people take Echinacea every day as a preventative; however this method will result in the gradual resistance of the body to the herb. Instead, try taking Echinacea for a week, then stopping for a week, then taking it again for a week. By alternating weeks, you can boost your immune system, yet still allow your body the chance to rest. Besides, it saves you 50% of the money you spent since you're using Echinacea only half the time! | |
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| BIBLIOGRAPHY |
| Foster, Steven & Duke, James A., A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants: Eastern and Central North America, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1990. |
| Potts, Billie, Witches Heal, Ann Arbor, MI: DuRêve Publications, 1988. |
| Stansbury, Jill, N.D., Herbs for Health & Healing, Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd., 1997. |
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