Fight Back Against Cold & Flu with The Most Powerful Echinacea
Cold and flu season is back – and so is our exposure to common viruses after a lengthy period of social distancing and following other public health precautions We can (and – should) all do our best to try to avoid getting sick, but, as we plunge into the “new normal,” it’s likely that we’ll soon be reacquainted with the common cold.
Now is the time to prepare and stock up on remedies for when sickness strikes – and a well-known herb can help to fight back against seasonal viruses and infections.
Learn more about your immune system: Immunity 101 – Making Sense of Your Natural Defence.
Many of us are familiar with echinacea, sometimes referred to as “purple coneflower,” as an effective herb that can be taken to fight back to reduce the duration and severity of viruses throughout cold & flu season.
But did you know that not all echinacea products are created equal?
Echinacea is a flowering plant native to North America, where it was traditionally used by Indigenous peoples in medicinal preparations to treat injuries, pain, throat infections, coughs, and even snake bites.
In its earliest applications, the type (species) of echinacea used depended on what grew naturally nearby. Echinacea angustifolia, native to central North America, was the species most used traditionally – both by Native Americans and by the Eclectic movement – a 19th century botanical medical system. Studied and revered by Eclectic physicians, this species was by far the most popular treatment they prescribed, and was used to treat even life-threatening conditions such as sepsis (blood infections) and typhoid fever.
However, as European settlers increasingly adopted echinacea’s therapeutic uses and wanted to begin commercial cultivation in Germany in the 1930s it was the Echinacea purpurea species, native to eastern North America, that was inadvertently brought back to Europe – and as such it ended up being the species that was cultivated and researched, becoming the dominant species used to prepare echinacea products – a widespread practice to this day.
In other words, Echinacea angustifolia – the species with the most historical evidence – wasn’t the species extensively researched or manufactured!
Jumping forward, more recent ground-breaking research has found that it is actually the two species together that have the most profound impact in remediation of colds & flu.
These pharmacokinetic and human research studies on the dynamic interaction of the two species of echinacea were authored and spearheaded by people eminent in their field, including Kerry Bone, one of the world’s foremost scientific authorities on herbal medicine. They found the following:
Greater Bioavailability of Alkylamides:
While Echinacea purpurea offers key therapeutic benefits and is notably effective for viral infections, its alkylamides – key compounds that impact the immune system – have a limited period of activity in the body – meaning that they are not available/effective for substantial periods.
What the research has shown is that, when the 2 species – Echinacea angustifolia and purpurea – are combined, the alkylamides from Echinacea purpurea are most bioavailable (able to be absorbed and used by the body) when in the presence of those from Echinacea angustifolia.
Enhanced Therapeutic Action:
The abundance and variation of active compounds in these two species reinforce the therapeutic action of one another. Specifically, the active compounds in E. purpurea that are essential for its therapeutic effects are quickly metabolized and excreted from the body unless they are in the presence of similar compounds in E. augustifolia.
In other words, Echinacea augustifolia both enhances and extends the medicinal effects of Echinacea purpurea for greater therapeutic benefits!
While most echinacea products contain one species (primarily purpurea), St. Francis’ Cold & Flu products contain both species – we refer to them collectively as Echinacea Plus – for the most powerful echinacea available.
EchinaSeal® is the #1 choice for adults at the first sign of general cold & flu symptoms, to lessen the impact and duration. EchinaSeal® amplifies the benefits of Echinacea Plus by combining it with goldenseal, a potent herb that offers broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits, propolis, which has the added benefit of easing the pain of sore throats, and more. The result is a targeted infection-fighting tincture that effectively works to help nip sickness in the bud.
When it comes to children, we all know how quickly common viruses can travel around a classroom. So, we offer Echinacea Plus in a tincture just for them. Echinacea Plus Kids helps to lessen the severity and length of colds and flu in children, in a mild-tasting formula with our signature blend of antiviral and antibacterial echinacea species –suitable for toddlers and children ages two and up.
We have also added NEW Echinacea Plus with Elderberry to our Echinacea 2+ family – an alcohol-free version of our Echinacea Plus Kids, better tasting than ever with a touch of elderberry juice. This easy to take formula blends 2 classic antiviral and antibacterial herbs that double down on preventing or alleviating colds & flu.
Be prepared for cold & flu season! Taken at first signs of infection, unique Echinacea Plus blends effectively help support your body in its fight against uncomfortable symptoms PLUS address the root cause, so you can feel better – faster!
Learn more – Protect your Health: Plant Medicines for your STRONGEST Immunity
Important: Echinacea is effective for its ability to kick our selective immune system into high gear, which means it’s ideal for use in short spurts, as needed. These echinacea formulas are generally not recommended for daily, pro-active measures, as the level of stimulation they provide could be stressful to bodies if used ongoing.
For daily support to ensure your immune system is in balance – and at its strongest – Deep Immune® daily immune tonic blends 8 carefully selected immune adaptogens, including astragalus and reishi mushroom, in just the right combination to help balance your innate immune system, so that, when illness tries to strike, you (and your family) are fortified.
Learn more about how to Help Prevent and Minimize the Impact of Common Viruses with the S.E.E.D. Approach.
Check with your healthcare provider who has a knowledge of botanical medicine to see if these herbs are right for you.
References
Aucoin, Monique et al, “The effect of Echinacea spp. on the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections in humans: A rapid review,” Advances in Integrative Medicine 2020)
Bone, K and Mills, S. “Echinacea root,” in Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine. Second Edition. London: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2013
Brinker, Francis ND. (2012) “Echinacea Differences Matter: Traditional Uses of Echinacea angustifolia Root Extracts vs Modern Trials with Echinacea purpurea Fresh Plant Extracts”. International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Volume 5.
Hensel, Andreas et al, “Challenges at the Time of COVID-19: Opportunities and Innovations in Antivirals from Nature,” Planta Medica 2020; 86: 659-664
Hostettmann, K. (2003). “History of a plant: the example of Echinacea”. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2003 Apr;10 Suppl 1:9-12. doi: 10.1159/000071678.
Matthias A et al. “Cytochrome P450 enzyme-mediated degradation of Echinacea alkylamides in human liver microsomes” in Chemico-Biological Interactions 2005, 155: 62-70
Matthias A et al. “Echinacea alkamide disposition and pharmacokinetics in humans after tablet ingestion.” Life Sciences 77 (2005) 2018-2029.
Mudge, Elizabeth et al, (2011). “Analysis of Alkylamides in Echinacea Plant Materials and Dietary Supplements by Ultrafast Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array and Mass Spectrometric Detection,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2011, 59, 8086-8094.
Shah, S.A. et al. “Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis,” Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2007;7:473-480.
Tierra, Michael. “Echinacea: An Effective Alternative to Antibiotics.” Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy. Vol. 7(2) 2007.
