Echinacea: what are the properties and benefits of this plant?
Echinacea is a type of plant that has been used to treat cold symptoms and other alterations of the immune system, including some as serious as cancer; however, the available research does not support the efficacy of this plant for any therapeutic application.
In this article we will analyze the uses, side effects and therapeutic efficacy of echinacea from the studies that have been carried out around this natural remedy.
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What is echinacea?
Echinacea plants are native to North America. Since ancient times various healing properties have been attributed to it; thus, the Pawnee Indians used echinacea for headache and the Lakotah as a general painkiller, while the Kiowa and Cheyenne tribe used it for cold and sore throat.
There are nine plant species that are categorized in the Echinacea genus . The two most commonly used as dietary supplements are Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia; we also find Echinacea pallida, paradoxa, simulata, atrorubens, laevigata, sanguinea and tennesseensis.
Oral consumption (mainly in the form of tea and juice) and the use of echinacea as a medicine are carried out from the preparation of its roots and flowers, or extracts from other parts of your body. Sometimes the segments of the plant are allowed to dry, while in other cases they are used fresh and freshly extracted.
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What is it for?
Nowadays echinacea is used to treat different types of physical alterations. The most common applications of these plants include the treatment of the common cold, although other diverse properties have also been described. In this sense Echinacea is consumed as a nutritional supplement or applied to the skin in topical format.
Thus, some medicines with echinacea are used to treat skin problems; It is usual to apply this type of products to prevent infections in recent wounds, among other uses. There are even those who have come to affirm that echinacea can be used as remedy for very serious immunological disorders, particularly cancer .
This last application is related to the belief that echinacea has stimulating effects on the immune system, making its activity more effective when fighting all types of infections, including those associated with colds and flu.
On the other hand, some species of echinacea are also used with some frequency for decorative purposes, especially in gardens. Echinacea is also planted with the aim of rehabilitate damaged or impoverished natural areas, particularly grasslands ; It is plants that reproduce quickly and with flowers that are very resistant to the weather and the seasons.
Does it really have therapeutic effects?
Most of the research on the effectiveness of echinacea as a medicine has been carried out in relation to its most common application: the treatment of the common cold. However, we still need more scientific studies to be able to reliably assess the possible therapeutic effects of echinacea in other alterations.
The results of the available studies reliably confirm that echinacea does not reduce the duration of cold symptoms once it has already occurred . In this sense, the effectiveness of echinacea to treat the cold would be similar to that of placebo.
At the moment it is not clear if this plant can be useful to prevent the cold; Some research suggests that it may have this effect to some degree, although it has not been definitively demonstrated. Currently, the possible active components and the action of echinacea bacteria on the human immune system are being analyzed.
On the other hand, the British foundation Cancer Research UK affirmed in a study of the year 2012 that there is no proof of the effectiveness of echinacea to treat cancer . The same happens with the use of this plant to minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Side effects and adverse reactions
The effects of products containing echinacea can vary significantly depending on different factors. Not only the species or part of the plant used is relevant, but also the rest of the components that make up the product in question.
Research suggests that echinacea is safe for most people in the short term, although its long-term effects have not been studied. When adverse reactions appear, the most common affect the gastrointestinal system; for example, Nausea, vomiting and stomach pain are common .
In some cases there are allergic reactions that can have a significant degree of severity. This type of physiological responses are more frequent in predisposed people who have other different allergies.
It should be borne in mind that in many cases dietary supplements and echinacea remedies or medications have not been manufactured in a regulated manner, and it is also very common that they have not been tested in humans before being marketed. So, caution should be advised when using echinacea products .
