Echinacea Herb Profile

Echinacea is also known as Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, purple coneflower, coneflower, and snakeroot.

Composition

Echinacea refers to the tincture of the root, as well as tea and other infusions. It can also
refer to the fresh or dried plant matter.

Description and History

This native American plant perhaps pioneered the modern herbal movement. As one of the most popular—yet misunderstood—herbs used today, it is also at the center of many herbalists’ debates. Is angustifolia better than purpurea? Or, is purpurea better? Everyone has an opinion, but studies show us that neither has any substantial benefit over the other. Fortunately, many manufacturers also use both species, so we can always satisfy our own opinions, yet cover ourselves, just in case. Studies show this herb is ideal for use with any infection and the common cold. The duration of a cold is reduced by an average of 30% in those that take echinacea over those that use mainstream cold medications or nothing. It is also especially beneficial for children with recurrent ear infections.

Stamina

There are some claims that echinacea helps to improve longevity and stamina in athletes, but
this isn’t supported in studies. In one study, it was supplemented for 6 weeks and compared to placebo. However, the VO2 max was unaffected and total performance was unaffected. In other words, there were no signs that the supplementation was improving any of the indicators of performance (Baumann, et al, 2014).

This was replicated in another study that evaluated two different doses of echinacea for 35 days (8000mg/ day and 16000 mg/day). Again, no changes in performance occurred (Stevenson, et al, 2016).

Flu

In a 2015 study, a commercial echinacea product (Echinacea HotDrink by Vogel) was compared to the prescription Oseltamivir for treatment of the flu. Both treatments reduced the total duration and intensity of the flu, with over 50% of patients fully recovered by day 5, and 90% by day 10. The echinacea product was far less likely to include side effects, which are extremely common in pharmaceutical antivirals.

Immune Modulation

Echinacea’s method of immune modulation is interesting, as well. Previously,
herbalists have indicated that echinacea is contraindicated for autoimmune disorders as it boosts immune function, but tests on healthy individuals indicate that it actually down-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines and upregulates anti-inflammatory molecules. (Dall’Acqua, et al, 2015) This indicates that echinacea is beneficial for those with autoimmune disorders when facing illness such as a common cold.

Cold

Echinacea has long been used as a botanical solution for the common cold, though this treatment has come under attack recently. Some studies have found that it is ineffective, prompting a wide media campaign asserting that the herb is ineffective. However, the key to efficacy is always found in the dose. Accurate dosing is crucial for efficacy when treating a cold with echinacea. One study only used 10.2mg/day for first day and 5.1 mg/day for 4 more days, and no results (changes in immune function, mean illness duration) occurred when compared to placebo – and this was over a large study covering a total of 713 participants (Barrett, et al, 2010). This is one major reason that people don’t get the results they want.

In the same vein, many people use echinacea to prevent colds or the flu, but in reality it works primarily by improving immune function during an infection and shortening the duration. In a study of 90 volunteers, routine supplementation of echinacea twice a day for 8 weeks did not reduce the overall number of upper respiratory tract symptoms. While there was a reduction in total sick days, it was not one that reached statistical significance. (O’Neil, Hughes, Lourie, & Zweifler, 2008).

The best approach is to use echinacea after the onset of illness. When you notice symptoms of a cold, echinacea enhances non-specific immune function, which helps to increase the antibodies that circulate during a cold, reducing both severity of illness and duration. (Goel, et al, 2005)

Anxiety

In an interesting application, echinacea was used to reduce symptoms of anxiety using a
validated, objective measurement instrument. For both rat subjects and human subjects, an intake of 40mg/day or more resulted in a reduction of the anxiety score, while 20mg/day did not. (Haller, et al, 2013) More studies are needed to see if results can be reproduced and compared to placebo. Chamomile EO provides antiviral benefits. While there are not studies confirming its use for varicella specifically, there are studies evaluating the actions of German chamomile against viruses which are usually treated with acyclovir, the pharmaceutical typically used for varicella. The EO can be ingested every 4-6 hours for the duration of the infection in a suitable preparation.

Preparations

Echinacea is extremely versatile and can be used topically to promote healing of wounds
for first aid in a 10% concentration. Internal use is the most effective for documented benefits and it can be extracted in a tincture, glycerite, extract, syrup, or other preparation depending on personal preference.

Dose

Up to 300mg/3x a day is the recommended dose for an otherwise healthy adult. This can be
increased to 1200-1500mg/day during an acute viral infection for up to 2 weeks.

REFERENCES

Barrett, B., Brown, R., Rakel, D., Mundt, M., Bone, K., Barlow, S., & Ewers, T. (2010). Echinacea for treating the common cold: a randomized trial.Annals of internal medicine, 153(12), 769-777.
Baumann, C. W., Bond, K. L., Rupp, J. C., Ingalls, C. P., & Doyle, J. A. (2014). Echinacea Purpurea Supplementation Does Not Enhance V [Combining Dot Above] O2max in Distance Runners. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research,28(5), 1367-1372.
Dall’Acqua, S., Perissutti, B., Grabnar, I., Farra, R., Comar, M., Agostinis, C., ... & Voinovich, D. (2015). Pharmacokinetics and immunomodulatory effect of lipophilic Echinacea extract formulated in softgel capsules. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 97, 8-14.
Goel, V., Lovlin, R., Chang, C., Slama, J. V., Barton, R., Gahler, R., ... & Basu, T. K. (2005). A
proprietary extract from the Echinacea plant (Echinacea purpurea) enhances systemic immune response during a common cold. Phytotherapy Research, 19(8), 689-694.
Haller, J., Freund, T. F., Pelczer, K. G., Füredi, J., Krecsak, L., & Zámbori, J. (2013). The anxiolytic potential and psychotropic side effects of an echinacea preparation in laboratory animals and healthy volunteers. Phytotherapy Research, 27(1), 54-61.
O’Neil, J., Hughes, S., Lourie, A., & Zweifler, J. (2008). Effects of echinacea on the frequency of upper respiratory tract symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 100(4), 384-388.
Stevenson, J. L., Krishnan, S., Inigo, M. M., Stamatikos, A. D., Gonzales, J. U., & Cooper, J. A. (2016). Echinacea-Based Dietary Supplement Does Not Increase Maximal Aerobic Capacity in Endurance-Trained Men and Women. Journal of dietary supplements, 13(3), 324-338.