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Echinacea benefits
Echinacea for disorders Sore throat
Illnesses Chronic conditions, colds, influenza, respiratory ailments, tonsillitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, ear infections, leukopenia, herpes, urinary tract infections
Beneficial Immunostimulant, immunomodulator
Echinacea description
Echinacea is a small, robust ornamental plant, up to one meter tall, with a single stem. The leaves are lanceolate and depending on the variety has a slight downy or toothed or even bare (glabrous). The stem is dominated by an inflorescence with flowers on the periphery with tabs of purple, pink and white which bloom from July to September.
Culture
It comes to us from North and Central America and more specifically from Ohio and these great prairies and plains. It is cultivated in Europe for its temperate climate, as it prefers sunshine and rich, drained or sandy soils. Only cultivated echinacea is used medicinally, as it is growing in the wild. Echinacea flowers are picked in the spring while its root (two or three years old) is harvested in the fall and dried in the shade.
Echinacea its composition
The plant is made up of polysaccharides and essential oils, alkylamides and polyacetylenes, flavonoids including esters of caffeic acid, alcamides, echinolone and betaine.
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Echinacea and its medicinal properties
Echinacea is primarily an immunostimulant (stimulant of the immune system) and an immunomodulator (regulates reactions of the immune system). These two properties are certified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the German Commission E, which recognizes the importance and effectiveness in all viral diseases of winter.
This plant is recommended for the prevention and treatment of viral infections (such as influenza and colds) and all winter attacks. It helps to treat colds (decrease in duration and complications to come) and chronic conditions especially those which follow viruses, respiratory conditions (sinusitis and laryngitis) and relieves tonsillitis, sore throat and ear infections .
The virtues of echinacea allow a marked reduction in the undesirable effects of certain heavy treatments. Thanks to the stimulation of the immune system, echinacea is also used for certain urinary tract infections.
Topically, it promotes healing of wounds and skin inflammation, chronic ulcers and also helps treat herpes, also recommended by WHO and ESCOP.
Other uses
Echinacea, considered an ornamental plant, is used to embellish all gardens. Some varieties of this plant are used to restore meadows to beautify these places and also as fodder for animals.
Echinacea helps to heal
Chronic conditions (following a viral infection), colds, influenza, respiratory ailments, tonsillitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, sore throat, ear infections, leukopenia, herpes, urinary tract infections.