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Echinacea purpurea is a plant with pink-purple flowers. It blooms from July to October and can be successfully grown even in a home garden. Learn how to breed and grow Echinacea. Discover its unique health benefits first discovered by the North American Indians.
Echinacea purpurea – characteristics
The Latin name for Echinacea is Echinacea purpurea Moench and it comes from the prairies of North America. Its health properties were discovered by the Indian tribe who used it as a universal medicine. Echinacea was used both to treat toothache and to heal burned skin. The Indians also used it to treat coughs, colds, and even gonorrhea and measles. The plant also helped with poisoning and bites by snakes and insects.
The Sioux strain used Echinacea to treat rabies. Settlers from Europe learned about the healing properties of the plant thanks to the Indians. It gained the greatest popularity in the XNUMXs and XNUMXs in the United States, Germany, England and France. However, over time, its importance decreased when antibiotics and sulfonamides began to be widely used instead of herbs. Echinacea in Poland began to be popular in the early XNUMXs.
Growing Echinacea
The flower can even be grown in your home garden. Echinacea belongs to the Asteraceae family and is currently very popular in Europe. Its advantage is low soil requirements, and at the same time it is a plant of high decorative value. In Poland, we can meet its different varieties, but the most popular is the purple species, with shapely flowers in a light pink color.
The species has a handsome inflorescence, the center of which is convex. The shoots of the plant are about 1,5 m tall. Its leaves are dark green in color, they are stiff and rough. Echinacea can be seen between July and October, because that’s when it blooms. It has several variations. In addition to the purple one, we also distinguish Echinacea: White Swan, Magnus, Kim’s Knee Hight and Rubinstren.
Find out more about healthy plants for your home
Echinacea breeding is not a difficult activity. The plant only requires proper soil and a sunny position. Alternatively, you can even plant it in a slightly shaded place. The plant prefers a fertile and well-drained substrate (e.g. sandy loam soil). In turn, it does not tolerate light and sandy soils. Echinacea growers recommend that you water it frequently.
Echinacea purpurea – properties
Echinacea contains, among others: free form flavonoids, essential oil, glycosides, alkylamines and alkylamides; its root contains, among others: chlorogenic acid, inulin, glycoproteins, cynarin and amino compounds. Thanks to them, the plant extract stimulates the secretion of gastric and intestinal juices, stimulates the regenerative process and has an antipyretic effect. Active ingredients contained in Echinacea accelerate metabolism and have antifungal and antispasmodic properties.
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Echinacea protects against the degradation of cell membranes and intercellular connections, because it inhibits the action of hyaluronidase. Thanks to it, harmful microorganisms do not penetrate deep into the tissues. It also stimulates phagocytosis caused by granulocytes and macrophages. It also increases the production of interferon. Echinacea reduces the production of histamine, so it reduces inflammatory processes, which it also prevents.
Echinacea Elixir and Echinacea Syrup with Vitamin C are now available at a favorable price on the Medonet Market.
Do you want to try a dietary supplement with Echinacea? Choose Echinacea Complex 450 mg for inflammation and swelling or Vir Farm – a liquid supplement for immunity and upper respiratory tract
Echinacea purple for immunity
Echinacea is considered one of the most effective natural remedies for improving immunity. However, it is not only recommended for healthy people. It is also used by people with a weakened immune system, e.g. as a result of long-term use of antibiotics.
Echinacea purpurea stimulates the process of phagocytosis. As a result, the body’s resistance increases, as bacteria and viruses are destroyed by the cells of the immune system. Moreover, the plant stimulates the white blood cells to release more substances that destroy the viruses. Nevertheless, you should be moderate in taking Echinacea preparations. After a month of such treatment, it is worth taking a break from it for a while (about 2 weeks).
- Order EKO purpurowa tea at Medonet Market now. The offer also includes Pukka Elderberry & Echinacea – a relaxing tea with elderberry and echinacea.
The health-promoting properties of Echinacea are also helpful in the period of increased flu incidence. The content of caffeoyltartaric acid makes the plant anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory and bacteriostatic. It is helpful in:
- treating inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;
- arthritis;
- inflammation of the bile ducts;
- inflammation of the urinary tract.
Do you want to strengthen your immunity in a natural way? Try winter Natjun tea for immunity with echinacea, ginger, hawthorn, raspberries and linden leaves.
Echinacea purpurea – effect on the skin
The plant has a beneficial effect on the skin as it activates cell regeneration processes. Thanks to Echinacea, collagen synthesis and protection against UV radiation are stimulated. This makes it protect against wrinkles like a good synthetic cosmetic. What’s more, it also has antiviral properties, so it smoothes and protects the skin from cracking – it is used as an ingredient in lip care cosmetics.
Echinacea is an ingredient often found in various types of syrups, tablets, ointments and juices. However, the most popular is Echinacea infusion, available both in pharmacies and ecological stores. The price of one package varies between PLN 12-15. The recommended dose of the infusion is from 1 to 2 glasses – it should be drunk for about 3-4 weeks.
Many phytotherapists recommend Echinacea because it is helpful in treating dermatitis and herpes. It also copes well with wounds and burns. Echinacea herb, combined with an ointment, is an effective remedy that can heal completely. Nevertheless, there were side effects among people using the drug, although it was a small group of respondents. Echinacea treatment has been successful in most cases.
Echinacea, together with elderberry and wild rose, is part of the Herbal Shield – a cocktail mix that supports the immune system and respiratory tract. You can buy the preparation at Medonet Market.
Echinacea purpurea for children and adolescents
Echinacea can also be helpful for school-age children. The first years of study can be stressful. Some children lose their immunity at this stage, which results from stress. Symptoms include headache, diarrhea, and urinary incontinence. Children are also irritable then. To alleviate these ailments, it is worth administering Echinacea juice.
Youthful acne is a shame for many teenagers. When pimples appear on the skin, a young person may begin to feel complex about their appearance – Echinacea is also worth recommending for her. Thanks to the plant’s healing properties, skin inflammation will not reappear. Gel and tonic with echinacea extract can have a much better effect on the skin condition than cosmetics from a drugstore.
Learn How To Treat Youthful Acne With Home Remedies
Echinacea is available in lozenges, capsules and coated tablets. In medicine, extracts are produced from, among others water and alcohol, which include the herb Echinacea. However, in Poland – unlike in Germany or Switzerland – we still have little access to preparations based on Echinacea.
Taking herbal preparations should be consulted with a doctor or pharmacist. Proper selection of a plant preparation requires specialist knowledge, as in the case of a chemical preparation. Herbal products can also interact with medications and pose health risks. Herbal preparations can also have a strong effect. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should be especially careful.
Echinacea purpurea – contraindications
Although the plant offers many health-promoting properties, there are some specific contraindications to its use. First of all, it should not be taken by people after transplants, with autoimmune diseases and asthmatics. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should not reach for it without consulting a doctor first.
There are many preparations for the youngest containing Echinacea purple on the market. However, before giving any of them to a child, it is worth seeking medical advice. There is a risk of allergy not only in the form of rash, swelling or itching, but even analphylactic shock. It is not recommended to combine Echinacea with immunosuppressants and glucocorticosteroids.
Echinacea should be avoided by people suffering from multiple sclerosis, liver disease, AIDS, bone marrow disorders and hypersensitivity to herbs such as arnica, dandelion, and yarrow. Also, before giving it to a child, it is also worth consulting a doctor. Echinacea purple can also harm people with tuberculosis, liver disease, and leukemia.
How to prepare purple coneflower infusion and tea?
To prepare the infusion, prepare 200 ml of distilled water and Echinacea root. Just pour hot water over the root and wait for it to brew. The infusion will be ready to drink after 20 minutes. However, remember that the root should be dry and fragmented. When the dry becomes infused, it is enough to strain it. It is recommended to drink the infusion no more than 2-3 times a day. The norm of consumption of Echinacea extract is about 100-200 ml.
Check what are the healing properties of other herbs
We prepare purple coneflower tea depending on the way in which it will be used. If we are going to drink it, then a glass of boiling water should be poured over 1 teaspoon of boiling water and covered with a saucer for 10-15 minutes. In the case of Echinacea tea, you do not have to follow the same restrictions as in the case of the previously described infusion. On the other hand, when you want to use it as a cosmetic, you should cover it with 2 teaspoons.
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