Echinacea is the best-kept secret among medicinal herbs native to the United States. No other plant is so potentially important to self-care and mainstream medicine.
For centuries this splendid herb has been regarded as a champion of human health. Over the last two decades scientific research has confirmed its medicinal value. In a recent industry survey of well-known herbalists, both echinacea and chamomile were list ed among "The Top 10 herbs of the 90's.""Echinacea (e-kin-a'sha) is the best-kept secret among medicinal herbs native to the U.S.," writes Michael Castleman, editor of Medical Self-Care, adding, "No other pant is so potentially important to self-care and mainstream medicine. Echinacea wa s once widely used in the U.S. and it has been recognized as important to health for hundreds of years. Originally it was used by the plains Indians who considered the plant to be a panacea. They used it to treat broad spectrum of maladies such as headaches, mouth sores, mumps, measles, coughs, colds, and sore throat, small pox, rabies, and muscle and joint pains. It is known that Missouri tribes used it for snakebites, bee stings and insect bites; the Sioux, for wound treatment; and the Comanche applies a piece of the root for the relief of toothache.
The Indians passed their knowledge of the "purple cone flower" onto the settlers. With these folks, echinacea gained its reputation of "King of the Blood Purifiers" It worked so well that it became the basis of a popular patent medicine called Mey er's Blood Purifier. Until the 20's, tincture of echinacea was commonly found in American medicine cabinets. It fell out of use with the introduction of antibiotics during the thirties.
Botanical medicine remains much more mainstream in Europe than it is here, and echinacea is widely used there. Around the time of the westward movement, naturalists gathered samples of native American plants and sent them back to Europe for classificat ion. Tales of echinacea's healing powers initiated its popularity on the continent but its true strength maintained its status.
Research conducted in Germany since the 50s has shown echinacea to be an immune system stimulant and to have significant effects against bruises, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. In that country the freeze-dried extracts approved for the treatm ent of chronic infection and for the prevention of flu. It is also used internally to treat colds. Bacterial and fungal infections (such as Candida albicans), and herpes sores. Externally it is used to reduce inflammation and swelling, and to promote rapi d healing of boils and wounds. For these purposes it is prepared in various ointments, lotions, and creams, and even as a toothpaste ingredient.
Medical Self-Care reports a 1986 German study of 203 women with recurrent Candida albicans vaginal yeast infections. Half the women were treated with an antifungal cream and the other half, with the cream plus echinacea. After six months, 84 percent of the women using echinacea remained free of infection while only 40 percent of the women who had used only the fungal cream had this experience. The other 60 percent using the anti fungal cream alone suffered recurrences of the infectio n. This significant difference in effect is a dramatic demonstration of the power of echinacea.
Curious to know if the herb had a direct anti-Candida effect or if its success might be due to a general immune boosting response, the researchers investigated further. Using the classic skin-scratch allergy tests, they checked the echinacea group' s reactions to tetanus, tuberculosis, and diphtheria bacteria. They concluded that echinacea's effectiveness against Candida suggested the presence of a more generalized immune-enhancing action.
In 1972, echinacea also demonstrated antitumor activity.
Several U.S. herb companies market prepackaged echinacea powder and tincture under FDA purity guidelines. Follow the instructions on the package of the powder. The bulk herb can be prepared be mixing two teaspoons of powdered root per cup, boiling it for 15 minutes, and taking up to three cups daily. The homeopathic Materia Medica recommends 1-10 drops of the tincture or extract every two hours while Michael Castleman suggests one teaspoon up to three times per day. He also warns that the herb tast es sweet at first but then becomes bitter and may cause the tongue to tingle.
Nutrition News© 1990 VOL XIII. No. 7 Siri Khalsa, Riverside, CA 93507 ISSN 8756-5919