Echinacea is a safe and effective herb used by millions of people to maintain health through strengthening the immune system.
New Roots Herbal’s Echinacea is prepared from the fresh roots of Echinacea angustifolia and purpurea, which are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. They are harvested at their optimal potency, and promptly formulated while still fresh. Echinacea is one of the most useful herbs you can buy, simply because it does much more than nourish the immune system. Called “king of the blood purifiers,” echinacea benefits the lymphatic system by clearing the blood of many encumbrances that may lead to health issues later.
Echinacea is rich in polysaccharides and phytosterols, which have potent nonspecific stimulatory actions on the immune system. Research has indicated that they stimulate the alternative complement pathway, which helps activate general immune cells to scavange for bacteria and cellular debris. The roots of E. angustifolia contain significant amounts of the glycoside echinacoside, which has a mild antibiotic activity. Other components in echinacea, such as the polysaccharide echinaciin, also have antibiotic and antifungal activity. E. purpurea contains components, mainly echinacin, with cortisone-like activity and which help with wound healing, by inhibiting inflammatory hyaluronidase enzyme. E. purpurea also contains sesquiterpene esters which have an immunostimulatory activity.
Echinacea has been used to boost the immune system; to help speed wound healing; to reduce inflammations; and to treat colds, flus and infections. Many of the active components of echinacea have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Echinacea has also been used externally to cleanse and heal wounds, eczema, burns, psoriasis, herpes, vaginitis, canker sores, abscesses, and other skin conditions.
