Echinacea health benefits includes relieving pain, fighting inflammation, natural cancer remedy, natural laxative, helps treat upper respiratory tract disorder, promote oral health, promotes wound healing, helps control blood glucose, help promote sound mental health, and help promotes hair growth.
Echinacea has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to the growing popularity of herbs and their effect on natural health. In fact, prior to the boom of commercial antibiotics in the 1950s, Echinacea was extremely popular owing to its ability to help minimize the risk of contracting illness.
While Echinacea is most well-known for its flower, native to North American regions, the supplemental form we know actually contains the flowers in addition to the roots and leaves. While each part of the plant contains different biological constituents, combined they have measurable immune- modulatory properties, which can be used as natural remedies for many common infections.
Not sure what Echinacea can do for you? Let’s check them out now.
11 Amazing Health Benefits of Echinacea
1. Natural Cancer Remedy
While claiming that any natural remedy is effective in treating cancer can be controversial, preliminary studies have indicated that many of the plant-based chemicals found in Echinacea carry great potential for helping to combat tumors.
Though it has not become standard practice, it would not be surprising to see Echinacea pop up more and more in the coming years as a natural chemotherapy alternative, adjuvant or combination.
Better yet? If you’re skeptical about its ability to help treat cancers, it can be argued that it is a much safer bet when used for prevention instead. The many antioxidants found in Echinacea are great for preventing excessive cellular damage and unwanted changes occurring at the DNA level.
2. Natural Pain Reliever
Many people today do not or would not use Echinacea for pain relief as there are many more stronger options available, its history actually started out being used for exactly that, by the Indians of the Great Plains. While not ideal for all types of pain, it does show promise in treating pain such as those associated with the sore throat, headaches, inflamed tonsils, toothache or various stomach complaints.
You can either consume Echinacea in supplement or tea form, or apply locally to the affected area by making it into a paste for local use.
3. Natural Laxative
Similar to many herbs like cascara, Echinacea can be a useful mild laxative for helping to treat occasional constipation or stomach pain as a result of bloating.
The tea appears to be especially suited for this, as the warm seems to stimulate the bowels, in the same way a cup of hot coffee makes you want to poop. If you like, you can consume a cup daily to ensure regularity. This will also have other benefits such as helping promote healthy digestion.
4. Potent Anti-Inflammatory Actions
Excessive states of inflammation are the cause of many serious chronic illnesses in the world today, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even arthritis. While we may do our best to prevent exposure to artificial oxidants, we are still inevitably exposed to them in places we may never expect – think of our food and water supply.
Luckily, the rich density of antioxidants found in Echinacea can help to offset many of these burdens and help preserve our health. If it is regularly used it can help treat the painful symptoms associated with arthritis, or many inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. You can also use it to slow down the rate of plaque deposits inside of blood vessels which increase your risk of heart disease or stroke.
5. Helps Remedy Disorders Of The Upper Respiratory Tract
The respiratory tract shares an intimate relationship with our immune system, easily triggering inflammatory responses in our airways at the slightest hint of danger. This is why asthmatics are prone to experience breathing difficulties at the slightest unusual stimulus, sometimes leading to life-threatening complications.
Regular consumption of Echinacea, either as teas or in supplemental form can help safeguard you from seasonal flu, minimize the frequency and severity of asthmatic attacks, allergies and sore throats. There was even a study conducted which showed that Echinacea had potency almost equivalent to many of the strong prescription asthma medications. Echinacea helps to reduce recruitment of many immune factors that precipitate an asthmatic attack, and is highly recommended by some natural health practitioners as a preventative remedy for respiratory disorders.
6. Promotes Oral Health
Echinacea is well known for its immune modulating properties which help to safeguard us from a range of infections, but many of these natural herbs tend to bypass the gateway for many bacteria in the first place – the mouth. When Echinacea is used, especially in tea form, it can help to reduce the bacteria that cause gingivitis, helping keep our teeth and entire oral cavity in good health. Instead of drinking the tea, however, it should be used as a rinse, as you do not want to then drink any bacteria it may have flushed out.
7. Promotes Wound Healing
In addition to safeguarding you from infections, Echinacea use helps to speed up the healing of wounds and minimizes scar appearance, thanks to accelerated regeneration of skin cells and collagen synthesis. Echinacea also helps to minimize the need for antibiotics following a puncture wound, as it recruits immune factors to the wound site rapidly.
8. Helps Control Blood Glucose
Diabetics that consume Echinacea tea show better control over their blood glucose levels, thanks to the effect it has on protecting the cells of the pancreas from damage, responsible for production of insulin. This makes it a better option than other natural antidiabetic remedies such as cinnamon which can cause blood glucose to drop too low, and lead to other complications. Echinacea also helps to reduce the likelihood of diabetic related complications occurring.
9. Helps Promote Sound Mental State
While Echinacea should not be promoted as a cure for any type of mental ill, anecdotal evidence has indicated that it helps to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression and social awkwardness thanks to its ability to induce relaxation. It is also said to help promote sleep if taken before bed.
10. Promotes Detoxification
Echinacea helps to protect the liver and kidneys from the harming effects of pro-oxidant waste material which these organs process on a daily basis. It also functions as a diuretic and laxative, helping to ensure the time waste spend in contact with healthy cells is minimal.
11. Promotes Hair Growth
Alopecia is a condition which results in hair loss, particularly in men, with oxygen starvation to the hair follicles the likely culprit. While there are other types of alopecia as well, most types are associated with poor follicular health, which results in death of the hair.
Echinacea, with its rich blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, help ensure that hair follicles are not subject to excessive oxidative damage, and are supplied with ample oxygen and nutrients. Of course, if you carry a genetic predisposition to hair loss it will not cure it, but if your alopecia is of an unknown and unexpected origin, you should be able to notice measurable improvements to hair quality and volume after a period of use.
Conclusion
There are very few reasons why you should not be consuming some form of Echinacea almost on a daily basis. Its benefits on your health are significant, and will help your body perform at an optimal level.
Precautions
Of course, if you are currently consuming prescription medications, be sure to consult your physician before use to rule out the possibility of adverse reactions occurring. This is especially important for people who use painkillers or asthma medications, as changes to drug metabolism are possible.
