Echinacea Purpurea - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Echinacea Purpurea is commonly used as an immunological booster, antiviral, and antiseptic. It is frequently present in remedies that also contain other minerals, plants, and vitamins. A number of laboratory and animal studies indicate that echinacea contains active ingredients that have immune-boosting, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.

Benefits of Echinacea Purpurea:

Aids in Cancer Prevention:

Studies have emphasized the advantages of Echinacea for brain cancer (NIH). The "medical usefulness of phytochemicals present in Echinacea is clearly visible and indicates that these agents, as well as phytochemicals not yet discovered in other herbs, may be useful instruments to battle malignancies,".

Boosts the Immune System:

Studies have shown that 

1. Echinacea Purpurea can slash the likelihood of contracting the common cold by 58%.
2. Echinacea Purpurea can reduce the duration of the common cold by almost 1.5 days.

Therefore, Echinacea Purpurea indeed has powerful cold prevention and cold treatment benefits.

Relieves Pain:

Echinacea’s history began when Echinacea purpurea was used by the Great Plains Indians as a painkiller. It’s an especially effective pain reliever for the following types:

1. Pain in the bowels
2. Pain associated with headaches
3. Pain associated with HSV (herpes)
4. Pain associated with gonorrhea
5. Pain associated with measles
6. Snake bites
7. Sore throats
8. Stomach ache
9. Tonsillitis
10. Toothache

Echinacea purpurea and angustifolia may stimulate the endocannabinoid system, improving its pain-relieving properties, according to recent studies. The plant has been shown in vitro and in vivo trials to lessen inflammatory pain, including that from burns and arthritis.

Drinking herbal echinacea tea or making a paste out of the dried herb and applying it directly to the painful area are two frequent ways to use echinacea products.

It has laxative properties:

Echinacea Purpurea, like many other herbs, is very beneficial for the stomach and the entire gastrointestinal tract. For instance, it has been demonstrated to function as a moderate laxative that relieves constipation and functions as a soothing agent, claims Medical Herbalism.

To aid with this, drinking the herbal tea is extremely useful. Two to three cups of tea per day can help with sudden bouts, while one cup per day can help with more chronic illnesses.

Make cautious not to use this herb excessively though to lower the possibility of adverse effects. To be safe, make sure to take supplements as recommended on their labels and to drink no more than two cups of tea each day.

Acts as Anti-Inflammatory Agent:

The majority of diseases have an inflammatory component. Stress, chemicals in our meals, and inadequate sleep are just a few of the contributing causes.

Fortunately, frequent consumption of Echinacea Purpurea can successfully prevent and reduce different kinds of inflammation.

Even uveitis, or eye inflammation, can benefit from the use of echinacea-containing products. People with rheumatoid arthritis or other chronic inflammatory diseases would benefit from routinely consuming the herbal tea to lessen overall inflammation.

Aids in treating skin issues:

In addition to promoting skin moisture and minimising wrinkles, Echinacea Purpurea has positive effects on the skin. According to research, utilising skin care products with plant extracts can improve the condition of the skin. Furthermore, it has no negative effects, such as skin inflammation.

Alleviates upper respiratory problems:

Research suggests that the immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties of this plant can help to alleviate the following upper respiratory symptoms:

1. Acute sinusitis
2. All flus
3. Asthma
4. Common cold
5. Croup
6. Diphtheria
7. Inflammation
8. Strep throat
9. Tuberculosis
10. Whooping cough

Fights Infection:

Echinacea Purpurea works wonders as a treatment for a wide range of infections. According to one study, using a medicated cream on the skin and taking echinacea together can reduce the risk of recurrent vaginal infections by up to 16 percent. This is in comparison to only taking the medication by itself.

It’s also known to help with:

1. Bloodstream infections
2. Genital herpes
3. Gum disease
4. Malaria
5. Syphilis
6. Typhoid
7. Urinary tract infections
8. Vaginal yeast infections

Conclusion:

The strongest scientific evidence currently available supports the use of echinacea (as echinacea extract or echinacea tea) as a way to help slow the development and reduce the intensity and duration of upper respiratory viral infections, such as the common cold and influenza. Echinacea has many traditional benefits and uses (flu).

Other echinacea benefits include preventing cancer, enhancing immunity, reducing pain, treating constipation, reducing inflammation, and more.