Echinacea Medicinal Uses

Echinacea Medicinal Uses are many, both in traditional and modern medicine. The flowers, leaves, stems and roots are all used for its medicinal benefits. Echinacea angustifoia as well as E. purpurea, E. pallida and E. paradoxa have been considered a sacred herb to many American Indian cultures for centuries.

Echinacea Medicinal Uses Overview

The primary action of Echinacea is its ability to stimulate the immune system. It is an antiseptic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. It is a diaphoretic and its anti-inflammatory actions help relieve symptoms caused from the infectious stage of an illness.

Among its benefits, it may help in the treatment of:

• Colds & flu’s, sore throats, respiratory infections, cystitis and other acute infections.
• Streptococcus and Staph.
• It may help reduce the reproduction rate of fungal infections such as candida and vaginitis.
• It also helps relieve allergic reactions and symptoms by working with histamine response.

Echinacea Herbal Preparations and Uses

Parts Used: Flowers, Leaves, Stems and Root.

• Decoction.
• Infusions.
• Tinctures.
• Capsules.

Echinacea Herbal Recipes

Echinacea Tea

• Use 1 tablespoon of herb per 1 cup of water.
• Add to a pot and bring it to boil. Then turn to low and simmer 15-45 min, depending on desired strength.
• The tea can be sweetened with a bit of honey, if you prefer.

Echinacea Tincture

• Fill a clean mason jar halfway with dried Echinacea OR else 2/3 full if using fresh plant material.
• Fill the jar to within a half-inch of the top with 40% alcohol (such as Vodka), making sure that you completely submerge all the herbal material.
• Put a lid on the jar and shake the jar. Store the jar in a cool dark place for at least a month, shaking every couple of days.
• After 1 to 3 months of infusing, use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to filter the herbal material from the alcohol.
• Store the tincture out of direct sunlight.