Echinacea

Echinacea provides both a contemporary and historical view of this important herb and its healing properties. Known as a non-specific stimulant to the immune system, it was highly valued in Native American medicine and was used more frequently than any other plant. Today, research shows clear scientific reasons for its effectiveness.

Echinacea has emerged from the realm of folklore medicine and into the territory of valued and potentially fundamental therapy. While an understanding of the promising medicinal applications of Echinacea is important, knowledge of the herb's chemistry, cultivation, and analytical profiles is equally as significant. Echinacea: The genus Echin

This book provides an in-depth analysis of one the of most popular medicinal plants—Echinacea a species that is native to only the US and Canada. There are nine Echinacea species and several roots and above-ground portions of these showy wildflowers have been used in herbal medicine as an immune stimulant and to reduce one’s chances of catching a cold. Considerable medical research supports these claims. The most popular species and the primary one wild-harvested is the one native to the Great Plains, Echinacea angustifolia. It has a long history of use, including being both historically and currently the most widely-used medicinal plant by any of the Great Plains Native Americans. The importance of this species is described by the editor with a few key contributors chosen to relate the important facets of the story of this interesting plant: Echinacea’s biology, ecology, medicinal uses, markets, production and harvest, along with population biology, legal protections, ethnobotany, and history. The US Forest Service has expressed concern about the conservation status of Echinacea species on their lands, especially on the National Grasslands and National Forest units in the northern Great Plains. Overall, the future status of Echinacea, as an important medicinal plant and in the wild is not grim, but this book provides a clear perspective of why both cultivated and wild-harvested Echinacea will continue to be available to consumers without threatening the remaining populations.

Echinacea has become one of the best selling herbs in North America and Europe, and is frequently advocated for the prevention and treatment of colds and 'flu, and related respiratory diseases. Traditional uses implied that it was also useful in the treatment of many other diseases as well. How did Echinacea acquire its popularity, and is it justified? Is there scientific evidence from research laboratories or from clinical trials to back up the claims made by the manufacturers? Yes, to some degree. There has been substantial basic research on Echinacea recently, much of it in the Author's laboratory. But not all Echinacea preparations are the same, and they will probably not work for everybody, for reasons that are explained. One reason why herbal medicines such as Echinacea appeal to consumers is that they look critically at the western pharmaceutical alternatives, and their inherent problems. We have antibiotics, which are potentially lifesaving chemicals, but which have been applied excessively in humans and their livestock, resulting in global antibioticresistant bacteria. We have questionable vaccines. And of course we are continually producing toxic drugs with numerous side effects, some lethal ("Death by Medicine" has become an acceptable phrase). Professor Hudson attempts to explain all this in language suitable for the general reader, with some help from accompanying light-hearted anecdotes....

Many vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbs can greatly reduce cold and flu symptoms and shorten the duration of colds - if you begin taking them at the first sign of an infection. In this User's Guide, Laurel Vukovic describes the most important natural ways of fighting off colds and flus, including the use of such venerable herbs as echinacea, goldenseal, and elderberry.

Discover the Secrets of a Healthy Immune System For hundreds of years, Native Americans have used the herb echinacea for a multitude of ailments, from sore throats to snake bites. It was a popular cold remedy in the early part of the 20th century, before the advent of antibiotics. With the herbal boom at an all-time high, people are once again turning to echinacea for its amazing cold- and flu- fighting properties and all-over immune system-boosting qualities. Learn about this extraordinary natural remedy and discover whether you can benefit from the use of echinacea. This comprehensive guidebook includes: -The history, folklore, and legends surrounding echinacea -How the herb works in the body -The various types of echinacea and how they differ -The many uses of echinaceaHealth and illness-fighting plans -Candidates for the use of echinacea -Dosage information -And much, much more!