Echinacea

Echinacea

History of Echinacea

Joseph Meyer did a tincture with the root sold as a cure-all becoming famous as a healer and actor, as on stage caused the snake to bite and then drank the tonic to the public. Never got sick from those bites and well sold large quantities of toner. Thus was coined the term "snake oil salesman." The root of this plant called Echinacea was the first so-called alternative medicine "- labeled as" snake oil. “Meyer insisted that his cancer was cured tonic or rabid dog bites and even the plague. By the end of the nineteenth century, Meyer was eager to know what was inside the root, so I sent a box with their tonic to Professor King, one of the most important doctors and herbalists of the nation and author of the American Pharmacopoeia King, who laughed because it was not possible to identify a plant from a tonic. Meyer then sent him a copy of the complete plant, same as King left stored. Meanwhile, King's wife was dying of cancer. Months after trying the best drugs at the time, the woman finally healed to the delight of Dr. King, who believed that any of your medicines finally worked. However, to the surprise of her husband, Mrs. King admitted that instead of following the instructions he had given her, she had been self-medicating with the "snake oil" that he had saved. Echinacea, one of nine known species, was the most widely used in antiquity. It became popular again in both the U.S. and Europe in 1930, when a German herbalist supplements had sought her in America, especially as a remedy for colds and flu

In Europe, currently have approximately 40 applications either in ointment, in homeopathy or herbal medicine. It is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines in the United States, contained in more than 800 products and ranks fifth after St. John's worth, ginseng and garlic. In a recent survey estimated that 40 percent of people using herbal remedies, Echinacea were used in the last twelve months. (World Health Organization, 1999)

Echinacea is a medicinal plant in a few years became the most prescribed herbal medicinal products in the U.S. and Europe for the treatment of a variety of infectious diseases, as well as poisoning. Since its discovery, the therapeutic action of this herb has impressed doctors who prescribe.

In the past it was difficult to understand why this herb is useful for many ailments. This conundrum was resolved with the discovery of the immune system. Today, we know that Echinacea stimulates our immune system and so our body has a greater ability to fight infections. The 2 main species of Echinacea are Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea. In these times, where air pollution, water, soil and food is very frequent, we need to take good care of our immune system. (Barrett BP, Brown RL, et al.1999)

Research on Echinacea

Reducing the duration and severity of cold symptoms:

In December 2010, a study of 719 subjects gave inconclusive ...