Echinacea is a popular herbal supplement used for medicinal purposes and can be consumed as a liquid tincture, expressed juice and stabilized fresh extract, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, UMMC. There are also tablets you can take. Before using echinacea for medicinal purposes, consult your doctor to make sure it is safe for you.
Effects on the Common Cold
Echinacea has been touted as a supplement to help treat the common cold but study results are mixed. UMMC explains that preparations of echinacea can vary among different studies and it is important to choose a high-quality supplement. Drugs.com states that echinacea can increase the amount of white blood cells and enhance natural-killer cell function, helping boost the immune system. More research is necessary to explore echinacea's effect on the common cold but it is used widely anyway.
Anti-Cancer Effects
At the time of publication, echinacea was under study for anti-cancer effects in rats and mice as well as humans. Drugs.com states that survival time was prolonged in mice with lymphoma or leukemia administered echinacea for eight weeks. In rats, echinacea has acted as a protector against radiation therapy due to its antioxidant properties, and topical echinacea may help protect the skin against radiation damage. More research is necessary on liquid echinacea's effect on cancer and cancer treatment.
Other Benefits
Echinacea may have antifungal and antibacterial properties but clinical trials are lacking on these properties, according to Drugs.com. UMMC explains that echinacea has been used to treat urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections and hay fever because of these properties. This supplement has been shown to reduce inflammation when injected intravenously into mice or rats, although this mode of administration is not recommended, says Drugs.com.
Considerations
To avoid any adverse interactions, tell your doctor about any other medications or supplements you are taking before starting echinacea. UMMC states that echinacea may interfere with medications that suppress the immune system; individuals who are on immunosuppressants should not take this supplement. If you are allergic to daisies or plants in the daisy family, you may be at risk for an allergic reaction to echinacea; do not take this supplement without your doctor's supervision.
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