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Echinacea - Nature's Cure for the Common Cold |
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by Michael T. Murray, N.D. |
In every native culture around the globe
it seems that one medicinal plant in
particular is held in the highest reverence.
In North America the medicinal
plant that garnered the greatest respect
among Native Americans is Echinacea purpurea—the purple coneflower. Modern
research has shown echinacea to exert significant
effects on immune function in over
300 scientific investigations. Based upon
currently existing clinical research, the
appropriate uses of echinacea include:
- Treatment of the common cold and other viral respiratory tract infections
- Prevention of the common cold and viral respiratory tract infections
- Treatment of temporary immune deficiency and increased susceptibility to infections
Children in day care or nurseries
Adults experiencing undue stress
Sport-induced immunodeficiency
- Supportive therapy to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics in bacterial infections
- Chemotherapy and radiation-induced immune suppression
- Herpes simplex infections.
The problem with echinacea research
There is a serious problem when you look
closely at echinacea research—the
lack of quality control in defining
the echinacea product used has led
to inconsistent results. While some
studies have been positive, others
have not. Results are difficult to
interpret because of the lack of
quality control in the preparations
used. The biggest reason for the
mixed results is most likely due to the
lack of consistency in the product
being used. If the product, by chance, had sufficient levels of active compounds,
it would be effective. If not, then it
would likely be no more effective than a
placebo. What determines the effectiveness
of any herbal product is its ability to deliver
an appropriate dosage of active compounds.
 echinacea plant
In one recent double-blind study the
media publicized that echinacea had no
effect on the common cold; the product that
was used was later found to contain virtually
none of the active compounds of echinacea.
In another double blind study that showed
no significant benefit, the dosage used represented
about 200 mg of echinacea—hardly a
therapeutic dose. If the product does not
contain any active ingredients or it is given
at an ineffective dosage, of course you are
not going to see good results.
Chemical analysis of commercial echinacea
preparations has demonstrated
tremendous variation in the levels of key
compounds, even within the same product
from batch to batch. Many manufacturers
are not employing the necessary quality control
tests required to insure that the echinacea
is being grown properly and is
harvested at the exact time for maximal
levels of all active compounds. It is also
imperative that the echinacea be treated
properly after harvesting. First of all, it is
absolutely essential to use fresh plant material versus the dried plant or roots that most
manufacturers use. Studies indicate that a
significant amount of the active ingredients
are destroyed in the drying process.
Processing time is also very important. If
the fresh plant material is not processed
immediately, the content of several key components—especially cichoric acid, alkylamides—will be low (as much as 80 percent
will be lost). It is also essential that the extraction
be carried out under ideal circumstances.
Echinamide echinacea extract the
proper dosage and quality of echinacea
The single most important aspect in taking
an effective dosage and getting results with
echinacea is making sure that you are taking
a high quality echinacea product guaranteed
to provide sufficient levels of the key active
compounds. Many experts now consider
Echinamide®—a patented, super-extracted
echinacea product developed and marketed
by Natural Factors—to be the ultimate echinacea
product. Dr. Rudolf Bauer of the
Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf,
Germany, has conducted and published
more research on echinacea than any other
person. His research has been critical not
only to the understanding of echinacea but
also to its growing acceptance as an immune
enhancing agent. According to Dr. Bauer,
“Echinamide is unique in that it has certain
standardized levels of polysaccharides,
cichoric acid and alkylamides.” The proper
dosage of Echinamide is clearly indicated on
the bottle.
How does Echinamide echinacea extract
fight the common cold?
While echinacea does exert some antiviral
activity, this effect is really secondary to its
ability to enhance the immune system. Although echinacea has been shown to activate
or enhance many different aspects of the
immune system, researchers have really been
focusing on its ability to enhance the function
of white blood cells known as
macrophages (“big eaters”). These cells get
their name because of their large size and
their ability to engulf and destroy viruses,
bacteria, cancer cells and other particulate
matter.
The specific components of echinacea
responsible for this effect are the polysaccharides,
alkylamides and cichoric acid. While
each of these components is effective alone,
the greatest degree of enhancement noted in
research by Dr. Tapan Basu at the University
of Alberta occurred when the three active
components are at a specific ratio. What Dr.
Basu demonstrated was the phenomena of
synergy (1 + 1 = 3) along with a clear dose
dependent effect. In other words, Dr. Basu
demonstrated that the effects with the three
actives was greater than any individual active
and that the higher the dosage of the mixture,
as found in the Echinamide®, the
greater the effect on enhancing macrophage
function.
Safety information
When used at the recommended doses, even
for indefinite periods, there is no danger of
toxicity. Echinacea use is generally without
side effects, however, allergic reactions have
been reported in people who are allergic to
other members of plants in the daisy family
(daisy, ragweed, marigolds, etc.).
Echinamide appears to be safe even for
children as well as for pregnant or lactating
women, based upon both animal studies and
evaluation studies in women using echinacea
during pregnancy and showing no harmful
effects.
Michael T. Murray, N.D.,
Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on natural medicine. He is a graduate, faculty member and serves on the board of trustees of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. He is coauthor of A Textbook of Natural Medicine and the best-selling Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.
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