The small, quiet, purple flower that can be spotted throughout the United States has a special surprise that can transform all of the products in your medicine cabinet, Echinacea! While Echinacea has been praised for the beauty of the petals, the plants are also sweeping the field of natural medicine.
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Check PriceFor over 400 years, groups within Native American culture practiced medicine with echinacea. They used the flower to treat snake bites and serious infections. Recently, modern studies have confirmed why this drought-resistant wildflower should be added to your first aid supplies.
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A Natural Boost for Your Body's Defense System
Immunity boosting properties are seen in Echinacea since it essentially trains your body to improve. Echinacea boosts white blood cell activity by thirty percent so your body with threat identification and removal. Active ingredients found in this plant (alkylamides) improve the efficiency of your immune system cells.
Echinacea can balance your immune system so it can work better, but without the chance of overstimulation (which can happen with synthetics). Studies show users of Echinacea report 58% less symptoms from the common cold than those who just take OTC meds, and Echinacea users recover 1.4 days faster than those who do not take Echinacea.
Facing Cold and Flu Symptoms?
Echinacea may be helpful when you first notice cold symptoms like a scratchy throat. Studies show Echinacea reduces the duration of a cold by about 3.2 days and reduces sympoms significantly. Echinacea is effective because most cold medications just relieve symptoms, while Echinacea treats the infection. Echinacea also contains natural antiviral agents.
Starting echinacea at the first signs of illness is the best approach. The first 48 hours take 300mg of the standardized extract every 2 to 3 hours. After the first 2 days, decrease to 3 times a day until the symptoms diminish. This is a front-loading method, meaning that you will receive the strongest protective effects of the plant at that critical time.
Reduces inflammation and is effective
Chronic inflammation can lead to a whole host of problems including joint pain and heart disease. Echinacea is a natural alternative to some synthetic medicine for inflammation issues and has been shown to suppress inflammation. Both of these plants contain the anti-inflammatory compounds caffeic and rosmarinic acids which help to reduce inflammation throughout the body.
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Echinacea can reduce inflammation by 22% in 2 weeks by taking echinacea consistently. Unlike NSAIDs which are very harmful to your stomach lining and other organs, echinacea can help your stomach by being an anti-inflammatory and helping reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Wound Healing Gets a Boost
When applied to the skin, Echinacea helps cuts and scrapes heal faster. The herb increases the production of collagen and improves circulation, which pushes the healing of the tissues. The whole healing process can be improved by up to 40%. Ancient healers made ointments with the roots and leaves of Echinacea, and modern research shows that they were right.
Making your own healing salve is easy! Take 1 cup of coconut oil, and 1/4 of a cup of dried echinacea flowers and roots. Heat the mixture gently for 2 hours. Strain it. Then add enough beeswax to give it a salve consistency. This preparation is effective for 2 years. It outperforms most commercial healing ointments.
Antioxidant Protection and Cellular Health
Each day, your cells are assaulted by free radicals, risking the development of disease and accelerating the aging process. Echinacea is an amazing plant with a wide variety of antioxidants that are more effective than costly supplements. Echinacea has 15 different antioxidant compounds that together provide a synergistic effect to protect the DNA, proteins, and membranes of your cells.
With one month of daily Echinacea use, the body’s total antioxidant capability can increase by 18%. This antioxidant capacity not only aids the basic defenses of the body’s cells, improved brain, heart, and skin health can be seen. The respiratory system and lungs are also protected by the antioxidants found in Echinacea from toxins and pollutants they are exposed to.
Support Your Lungs: Big Steps
Echinacea helps fight off colds and helps protect the lungs and respiratory system from pollutants and toxins in the air. The compounds in this plant can strengthen the lungs, decrease airway inflammation, and improve the body's defense system against respiratory infections.
Research shows that people who use echinacea regularly have 39% fewer respiratory infections and have better results on tests measuring lung function. Echinacea has been shown to have some antimicrobial properties which helps prevent bacteria and viruses from colonizing the respiratory tract during stressful situations or when immunity is low.
Enhancing Mental Clarity and Dealing with Stress
Recent studies demonstrate that echinacea’s adaptogenic qualities enable your body to respond to and counteract stress. This herb promotes healthy levels of cortisol and balanced neurotransmitters. Additionally, it helps improve mental clarity and emotional resilience.
Users of Echinacea have reported improved quality of sleep, increased energy, and better handling of daily stress. As compared to adaptogens like ashwagandha, Echinacea is less popular, but it is still a great option for general wellness and stress support.
All three species Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida are used in the most effective echinacea products. The recommendation is made for standardized extracts with 4 percent phenolic compounds. Other than that, the best option for freshness and potency is to grow them yourself. For maximum medicinal properties, the leaves and flowers should be collected when the plant is in full bloom and the roots should be harvested after the plant is three years old.
There are many wellness benefits to Echinacea. If you grow it yourself or buy it from a good source it still retains its benefits. This plant with purple flowers shows us some of the best healing properties that have been available and always overlooked.
