Echinacea

Echinacea: properties, uses and healing effects

Echinacea is a plant from the Asteraceae or Compositae family, which is used both the entire root and other parts of the plant medicinally. Its pharmaceutical name is Echinaceae herba (formerly: Herba Echinaceae) for the herb and Echinaceae radix (formerly: Radix Echinaceae) for the root.

Botanical description

Echinacea has a tap root with numerous lateral roots and an erect, thin stem 30 to 120 cm high, covered with bristly hairs like the leaves. The leaves are lanceolate, entire, not densely scattered along the stem, with a short petiole. The end of the stem is crowned with a single large basket with a spherical receptacle and 12-15 reed flowers of pink to red-purple color. Only tubular flowers located in the central part of the basket bear fruit.

Echinacea blooms all summer, pleasing the eye with its amazingly beautiful flowers. Echinacea is native to America, but has long been grown in European gardens as an ornamental plant.

Collection and preparation

Echinacea root is dug up in spring or autumn, freed from adhering soil and dried in the shade. When collecting herbs, they take freshly blossomed plants and immediately dry them in the shade.

Active ingredients

Echinacea contains echinacin, essential oil, resins, bitterness, phytosterols, starch, sugar and echinacea with an antibacterial effect.

Healing effect and application

The medicinal use of Echinacea comes from the North American Indians, who used Echinacea root and leaves to heal all sorts of wounds. This application was scientifically tested in 1950. Echinacea contains substances that act against bacteria. This effectiveness against bacteria is enhanced by substances that stimulate the body's nonspecific defenses, which helps in treating infectious diseases. Both of these together make Echinacea preparations very valuable for doctors.

The German National Health Service recommends echinacea to support the body's defenses against colds and throat diseases. However, such use does not exclude simultaneous treatment with antibiotics, which, with the appropriate qualifications of the doctor, can be decided individually.

Echinacea is also used to treat respiratory infections, flu, cystitis, candidiasis, herpes, viral infections, microbial diseases, as well as to strengthen the immune system and prevent colds. Echinacea may help reduce inflammation and soreness, speed up wound healing, and shorten the duration of illness.

To get the most benefit from echinacea, it should be used as recommended by your doctor or package directions. Echinacea may cause unwanted effects such as allergic reactions, nausea, headache and others. If any unwanted effects occur, consult a doctor immediately.

Echinacea is a herbaceous perennial of the Rosaceae family native to North America. The plant contains many healthy components, including phytochemical compounds - echinacin, aramellin, auxins, ubiquinol, etc. This allows the use of echinacea in medicine and pharmacology.

Echinacea Germany GmbH is a market leader in echinacea producers. The company has produced several medicines based on echinacea:

1. Echinacea is a medicinal product based on the active substance from this plant. It is effective against upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and other diseases of the immune system. Can be used both in capsule and tincture form.

2. Echinatsa Hexal is a medicinal product based on echination. Used for mild to serious illnesses caused by infection of the respiratory tract or digestive system. Also effective against bacterial and fungal infections.

The main side effects of echinciase-based drugs are diarrhea, rash and fever. Therefore, be sure to consult your doctor before taking these medications.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, Echinacea is a herbal preparation. It contains flavonoids, echzizone, sucrose, steroids and tannins