Echinacea Purpurea immune boosting health benefits

There is a lot of evidence to support Echinacea’s immune boosting health benefits.

Echinacea has been found to possess antibacterial and immune-boosting properties, helping to fight coughs, colds, viral infections, as well as upper respiratory tract and vaginal infections. It also helps speed recovery time after an infection, with none of the side effects caused by antibiotics.

Products based on the Echinacea purpurea species have been shown to be the most effective for the immune system and warding off colds and flu. In a recent review , Sachin et al (2007) at the University of Connecticut found that Echinacea decreased the odds of developing the common cold by 58% and the duration of a cold by 1·4 days. While a study by Linde et al (1999) for the Cochrane Library in the UK suggests that negative reports of Echinacea’s effectiveness are the result of using inferior Echinacea products in tests.

Research on Echinacea

Textbooks

Bisset NG, Wichtl M (Editors), "Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals", second edition, 2001, medpharm GmbH Scientific Publishers, Stuttgart, Germany

- Herbal Remedies/ Heilpflanzen, Version 5, 2003, medpharm GmbH Scientific Publishers, Stuttgart, Germany

- Brown, D.J. (1996). Herbal Prescriptions for Better Health. Prima Health. USA

- Chevallier, A. (1996). The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley. UK.

Monographs:

- Blumenthal M, "The CompleteGerman Commission E Monographs", 1998,

American Botanical Council, Austin, Texas,USA

Articles:

- Barnes J et al., ""Echinecea species: a review of the chemistry, pharmacology and clinical proprieties"", J Pharm Pharmacol. 2005; Aug; 57(8):929-954

- Bauer R, ""Echinacea Drugs: effects and active ingredients"", Z Arztl Fortbild (Jena).1996;90:111-115

-Bauer R and Wagner H: Echinacea species as potential immunostimulatory drugs. Econ Med Plant Res 5, 253-321, 1991

- Bratman, S., & Kroll, D. (1999). Natural Health Bible. Prima Health. USA

- Braunig B et al. Echinacea purpurea root for strengthening the immune response in flu-like infections. Zeitschrift Phytother 13:7-13, 1992.

- Hostettmenn K, ""History of plant: the example of Echinacea"", Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilk. 2003;apr;10 Suppl 1:9-12

- Linde K, Barrett B, Wölkart K, Bauer R, Melchart D. Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 1999, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000530. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000530.pub2l

- Leuttig B, et al.: Macrophage activation by the polysaccharide arabinogalactan isolated from plant cell cultures of Echinacea purpurea. J Natl Cancer Inst 81:669-675, 1989

- Sachin et al: Evaluation of  echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 7, Issue 9, September 2007, Page 580

- Schoop R et al., ""Echinacea in the prevention of induced rhinovirus colds: a meta-analysis"", Clin Ther 2006 Feb;28(2):174-183

- Schoenberger D: The influence of immune-stimulating effects of pressed juice from Echinacea purpurea on the course and severity of colds. Forum Immunol 8:2-12, 1992

- Stimpel M, Proksch A, et al.: Macrophage activation and induction of macrophage cytotoxicity by purified polysaccharide fractions from the plant Echinacea purpurea. Infect immunity 46:845 – 849, 1984.

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