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| Echinacea |
| Echinacea pallida |
| Family: | Compositae |
| Other Names: | Pale Purple Coneflower |
| Parts Used: | Root |
| Systems: |
| Actions: | Bactericide, IMMUNOSTIMULANT, Insecticide |
| Note: E. pallida is 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: | ||
Bactericide, Bites (brown recluse, snake, spider), Burns, Cancer, Canker sores, Colds, Flu, Herpes (sores), IMMUNOSTIMULANT, Infections (general, throat), Insecticide, Preventative (colds, flu), Sores (canker, general, hard-to-heal, herpes), Throat (infections, sore), Toothaches, Wounds (general, hard-to-heal) |
| Contraindications: | Those with auto-immune disorders are cautioned against using this plant. |
 Pet safe with caution in pregnant and nursing animals, as well as those with immuno-deficiency diseases. |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
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| Copyright 1999. By WhiteFox. |
