Having a strong immune system helps you fight off seasonal colds and other illnesses. Your immune system relies upon your lymphatic system, which produces white blood cells, or leukocytes, that fight germs in your body. Echinacea, an herb native to the United States, may have a beneficial effect on your immune system, but research is limited, and some people may develop side effects. Your doctor is the best source of advice for determining if echinacea is right for you.
Plant Properties
Echinacea purpurea, commonly called purple coneflower, grows wild in many parts of the country and was used by some Native American tribes for the treatment of wounds and infections, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The herb contains polysaccharides, glycoproteins, volatile oils and other constituents thought to be responsible for its antibacterial and immunostimulating properties, according to the “PDR for Herbal Medicines.” Extract of echinacea root contains the highest amounts of potentially beneficial components.
Effect on the Immune System
For most herbal remedies, evidence of potential benefits is anecdotal. There are a few tests, however, to that indicate echinacea may be helpful for boosting immunity. A 2003 study, conducted at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Poland, tested extract of echinacea on mice. The researchers concluded that the herbal extract successfully stimulated the production of leukocytes. In another 2003 study, researchers from the Institute for Integrative Cancer Care and Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care in Illinois reviewed preclinical studies on the effects of echinacea. Researchers determined that the herb “works through immune mechanisms.” Additional studies are necessary to confirm these benefits on humans.
Administration
The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends taking echinacea in tincture, tea, juice or powder form, three times per day, for up to 10 days. Follow the dosage instructions on the package. A general adult dose may be up to 2 grams of echinacea root, prepared as a tea or up to 3 milliliters standardized tincture. Consult your doctor for a safe children’s dosage.
Considerations
The FDA does not regulate the manufacture of herbal remedies so you have no guarantee of purity, safety or quality. Echinacea may trigger an allergic reaction in some people, so do not take the herb if you are allergic to plants in the daisy, or compositae, family. In addition, UMMC advises those with leukemia, HIV, AIDS, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis and liver conditions, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, not to use the herb. Echinacea may interfere with other medications you’re currently taking, including antifungal drugs and immunosuppressants. Herbal remedies can’t replace professional medical advice, so talk to your doctor before using echinacea.
References
- KidsHealth.org: Your Immune System
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Echinacea
- “PDR for Herbal Medicines, Second Edition”; Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D., 2000
- “Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences”; Echinacea Purpurea Stimulates Cellular Immunity and Anti-Bacterial Defence Independently of the Strain of Mice; J. Swick, et. al., 2003
- “Integrative Cancer Therapies”; Immune System Effects of Echinacea, Ginseng, and Astragalus: A Review, K.I. Block, et. al., September 2003
