Why Echinacea Remains a Go-To Remedy for Colds

Before drug store prescriptions, people used plants to boost immunity and fight infections. Echinacea, also called purple coneflower, is one of the oldest and best-known of these remedies. Indigenous tribes of the Great Plains used several species to treat aoilments from snake bites to sore throats.

European colonists carried the plant home, and by the 20th century, echinacea’s use shifted from a general cure-all to an immune stimulant for colds and respiratory infections. Today, it is one of the best-selling herbal remedies in the United States and Europe, part of a global multi-billion-dollar industry fueled by people’s shift toward preventative, plant-based remedies.

Echinacea is a flowering plant in the daisy family, native to North America. Its folk names include snakeroot, hedgehog, and black sampson. Three species are most commonly used medicinally: Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, and Echinacea pallida. Herbalists use the root and the above-ground parts—flowers, stems, and leaves.

How Echinacea Works

Echinacea contains several active compounds, including alkamides—fatty compounds that cause the plant’s signature tingle—polysaccharides (long sugar chains), caffeic acid derivatives, and flavonoids. Researchers have found these bioactive compounds influence the immune system rather than directly attack germs.

In lab studies, they appear to activate immune cells such as macrophages and natural killer cells, which engulf and destroy invaders. They also appear to affect cytokines, the chemical signals cells use to coordinate an immune response. Some studies also suggest echinacea may keep injured cells from sending out signals that fuel excess inflammation, and make it harder for viruses and bacteria to enter cells. Lab studies with mice suggest it may even help protect against reduced immunity from stress.

Herbalists see these effects as part of what makes the plant so versatile. “It does a lot of remarkable things for just one plant,” Feather Jones, an herbalist, told The Epoch Times. Jones has also said echinacea limits inflammation in tissues where an organism has taken hold.

Author and world-renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar wrote in her book “Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide” that echinacea is especially effective against bronchial and respiratory infections, sore throats, and mouth infections, or any time the immune system needs fortifying.

Fewer Colds, Shorter Illnesses

Americans collectively experience more than one billion colds a year. Adults average five respiratory tract infections, while children average 12 per cold season. Some clinical research suggests echinacea may help.

A 2007 meta-analysis published in The Lancet reviewing 14 studies found that echinacea decreased the likelihood of developing the common cold by 58 percent and shortened its duration by 1.4 days.

A 2015 meta-analysis of six clinical studies with 2,458 participants found that echinacea reduced the risk of recurrent respiratory tract infections and complications. People with lower immune function and higher susceptibility were thought to benefit most.

In addition to reducing infections, echinacea may prevent infections such as pneumonia, otitis (ear infection), and tonsillitis, and reduce the need for antibiotics.

Still, the overall research picture is mixed. Because echinacea is a genus of nine distinct species, each with different effects, results vary widely. The part of the plant used, the harvest time, where it was grown, and how it was extracted and prepared also matter. Herbalists understand that each of these factors matters and affects how the herb works. However, these variables make echinacea study results difficult to interpret, and researchers have identified them as major limitations.

How to Use Echinacea

Echinacea comes as tinctures, capsules, tablets, powder, and tea. You can find it in health food stores and online. As with any herb, choose a high-quality product, since the plant part used, extraction method, harvest time, and overall quality all affect potency.

Discerning Quality

One way to judge quality is the tingle. If you feel it, it means you’ve got a quality product. Herbal Reality, an herbal resource created by and for herbalists, recommends using a product made with E. angustifolia root for the strongest effect, and notes that even a small taste can be intense:

“The first impact is fiery—a quick, very sharp astringency that covers all surfaces of the mouth, even the lips. Thereafter follow waves of sour and bitter tingling, and a very persistent, long acrid, dry astringent aftertaste, leading to reflex increased salivation.”

Tinctures

Herbalists generally consider a root tincture the most potent form. Tinctures are made by soaking herbs in alcohol, vinegar, or vegetable glycerine to extract and preserve the plant’s beneficial compounds. They are then strained and bottled. Of the three, alcohol is the most powerful. Tinctures are a convenient way to take herbs, and they can last many years when stored in a cool, dark place.

Echinacea tinctures are made using 1 gram of herbs per 5 ml of 45 percent alcohol (meaning any spirit that is 90 proof, such as vodka), and the recommended dosage is 1 to 4 ml in some water, three times daily, according to Herbal Reality.

Decoction

To make a decoction, which uses tougher plant parts such as roots, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of echinacea root to a cup of water, bring it slowly to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and drink up to three times a day.

Herbalists also recommend that when you’re sick, or when you feel a cold or flu coming on, you take small doses of echinacea regularly, every hour or two.

Who Should Be Careful

An assessment of safety data for orally administered echinacea found it well tolerated in adults and children, with mild and rare side effects, and its authors noted it appears safe for long-term use.

Some groups should still take care. People with asthma or allergies to plants in the daisy family should consult a qualified herbalist before using it.

Advice for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding is divided: some say it is safe, while others suggest caution. Information on using echinacea for autoimmune conditions is conflicting, so consult an herbalist in these cases.

Echinacea’s long history, plausible effects on the immune system, and good safety record explain its enduring popularity. Research results remain mixed, largely because products and species vary so much, but it remains one of the best-known natural options for colds and respiratory infections, especially when taken at the first signs of illness.

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