Healthy Living
Echinacea
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
Extracts of Echinacea root have been the subject of more than 350 scientific studies world wide. These studies show that Echinacea enhances the function of the immune system by not only increasing the number of immune cells, but also increasing their effectiveness in fighting disease. From the late 1890's until the mid 1920's, Echinacea was quite popular in this country. With the advent of antibiotics in the 1930's, Echinacea lost its popularity and is now virtually unknown to American doctors while being widely prescribed by our European counterparts.
Perhaps its most common use is in the prevention and treatment of the common cold. It can be obtained from most health food stores and comes in a variety of forms including capsules, tinctures, and extracts. Since Echinacea should produce a numbing sensation when held in the mouth for a few minutes, this is a good way to determine its potency. Taking this time-proven herbal remedy at the onset of a cold is often surprisingly effective. We generally recommend the tincture in a dosage of 1 full dropper in a glass of water 3-4 times a day for a week or two. Some reports have indicated that Echinacea loses its effectiveness when taken on a continual basis for more than 2 weeks at a time, so reserve Echinacea for those circumstances in which you need it most.