Facts on Echinacea & Goldenseal

Two medicinal herbs that are often used together are echinacea and goldenseal. Both plants originally grew wild all over North America, but today due to overharvesting, goldenseal is nearly extinct in the wild. Both echinacea and goldenseal are cultivated for medicinal use so that medicinal treatments using them are readily available. Before you begin to take either of these medicinal herbs, ask your health care practitioner for advice.

Echinacea Uses

The most common use for echinacea is to boost the immune system, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, website. The site explains that echinacea has anti-viral properties that ease the severity and duration of influenza and the common cold and aids in fighting infections. The website for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, or MSKCC, adds that echinacea is often used to promote wound healing.

Goldenseal Uses

The MSKCC says that goldenseal contains anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It's most commonly used to treat infections, fever, swelling, diabetes, pink eye, the common cold, colitis, liver disorders and cancer. The National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM, website adds that goldenseal is used for respiratory tract infections, infectious diarrhea and vaginitis. The site reports that early Native Americans used goldenseal as a treatment for gonorrhea, ulcers and skin diseases.

Research

The UMMC site describes the results of clinical trials showing that taking echinacea lowered the odds of getting a cold by as much as 58 percent, and it decreased the duration of the symptoms by one to four days. The NCCAM site describes several studies of echinacea's ability to prevent or treat colds. The site said results of those studies were mixed. But the NCCAM is funding further study of echinacea's effects on the common cold as well as its ability to boost immune function.

The NCCAM describes research on goldenseal's effectiveness and safety. So far, there haven't been significant results supporting its use, but the center is funding more research, using more standardized goldenseal to determine its effects in lowering cholesterol levels and treat infections.

Possible Side Effects

The UMMC website warns that, in rare cases, some people experience allergic reactions to echinacea. Some of these reactions are life threatening, so watch for swelling in the mouth or throat while taking echinacea. If these occur, get emergency medical help right away. The site also advises people with cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure to avoid taking goldenseal. Some people have experienced constipation, nausea, vomiting, depression or nervousness when taking goldenseal, says the MSKCC site. This site cautions people with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis to avoid taking echinacea. The more common side effects of taking echinacea are the possibility of dizziness, nausea, constipation or headache, says the site.

Potential Interactions

The UMMC site advises that people who take medications to suppress the immune system should not take echinacea. The site also says that chemotherapy patients should not take echinacea because it may interfere with the actions of the medications. The MSKCC site warns that people who take medications for high blood pressure should not take goldenseal. If you have questions about whether echinacea or goldenseal will have harmful interactions with the supplements and medications you take, talk to your pharmacist or health care provider.