| When fall and winter arrive, does it seem like you | | | | impressive herb against colds and flu. There are three |
| always get sick? Don't fear the changing seasons | | | | varieties of echinacea available in your health food |
| anymore - there is help. One of the most effective | | | | store. These popular varieties are echinacea |
| way to reduce the frequency of colds is by washing | | | | angustifolia, echinacea purpurea, and echinacea pallida. |
| your hands on a regular basis. Studies have | | | | Most studies done on echinacea were the purpurea |
| suggested that by washing your hands can reduce | | | | and pallida variety. |
| your chances of getting a cold by 50%. (1,2) Other | | | | Because echinacea works so well, there has been |
| ways of protecting your body from the dreaded | | | | quite a bit of research done to discover why it helps |
| yearly cold or flu is by taking an herb called echinacea. | | | | so well with colds and flu. Antibiotics kill the disease |
| Echinacea (pronounced eck-in-AY-sha) is a safe and | | | | that causes sickness, echinacea on the other hand |
| effective herb to help the body fight off colds or | | | | boosts the immune system, to be specific echinacea |
| prevent them entirely. When Echinacea is combined | | | | boosts the production of macrophage an aspect of |
| with other herbs that boost the immune system, you | | | | the immune system that engulfs bacteria and viruses |
| will get even greater cold and flu protection. (3,4) | | | | killing them. Macrophage is the body's first defense |
| You might be wondering what the difference is | | | | against invading bacteria and viruses. Echinacea also |
| between having a cold and having the flu. Both have | | | | helps enhance the function of monocytes, blood cells |
| similar symptoms but very in severity. If you have a | | | | that mature into macrophage. Echinacea boosts the |
| cold, you may experience sneezing, watery eyes, | | | | number of natural killer (NK) cells and those cells |
| congestion, and runny nose. These symptoms usually | | | | activity in the body. NK cells are programmed to |
| last a week or so and make life miserable for a short | | | | seek out and kill invading bodies such as viruses. |
| time. With the flu, symptoms start out like a cold but | | | | Echinacea also boosts the production of Tumor |
| taking a turn for the worst and escalating rapidly. | | | | necrosis factor (TNF) and interferons. Along with |
| Symptoms can consist of fever, chills, headache, dry | | | | echinacea, white cedar leaf and wild indigo both boost |
| cough, sore throat, runny and stuffy nose, severe | | | | the production of TNF, macrophage and interferon |
| fatigue, weakness, body aches, and muscle pain. The | | | | production in the body. |
| fever, muscle pain, and aches may go away in a few | | | | Safety might be a concern to those who are |
| days with the flu, but the tiredness and fatigue can | | | | considering echinacea, white cedar leaf and wild indigo |
| last weeks. | | | | as a remedy. The German Commission E |
| There are over 200 different viruses known to cause | | | | recommends (GCE) the use of these herbs only if |
| the flu. (1) Influenza viruses are classified by types. | | | | you do not have an autoimmune disease such as |
| Type A, B, or C, each type is capable of causing the | | | | lupus, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, HIV, or AIDS. |
| flu. People tend to catch a cold when the weather is | | | | Because these herbs boost the immune system, one |
| cool and wet. When it is cold and wet outside, people | | | | with the above autoimmune diseases would not want |
| tend to stay indoors more and more close contact | | | | over activation of their immune system which might |
| with others pass the flu virus from person to person. | | | | progress the disease. Allergic reaction may occur in |
| You might wonder why there is not a cure for the | | | | some who are allergic to rag weed or plants in the |
| common cold or flu. The flu virus continually mutates | | | | sunflower family. The GCE also recommends short |
| and changes each year making it difficult to fight. | | | | term use of echinacea no more than 6 weeks. Wild |
| With the increased use of antibiotics these viruses | | | | indigo and white cedar leaf do not have this limitation |
| have managed to build up an immunity making it | | | | and can be taken year round. |
| harder to fight every year. Research has developed | | | | The amount of echinacea consumed by an individual |
| over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to help treat the | | | | should be measured by the age of an individual. For |
| common cold or flu, but consuming such medicines | | | | adults and children over 12, one should consume |
| might prolong the length of the disease and increase | | | | 7.5mg of standardized echinacea 3 times a day to |
| the length of the misery. There are also potential side | | | | fight a cold. White cedar leaf should be taken in 2 mg |
| effects of using OTC cold and flu medications. (5,6) | | | | doses 3 times a day and wild indigo should be taken |
| There are a variety of OTC medications available | | | | in 10 mg doses 3 times a day as well. |
| today such as decongestants to dry up the runny | | | | If you are around someone who has a cold, |
| nose and relieve sneezing and watery eyes. For | | | | remember to wash your hands on a regular basis and |
| those aches and pains there is acetaminophen, aspirin, | | | | the dosing of herbs mentioned above can be |
| and ibuprofen. Aspirin and ibuprofen can help bring | | | | followed to help fight off a cold before it starts. |
| down a fever. Both of these fever reducing products | | | | Echinacea is used more often then any other herb in |
| come at a cost, they can cause gastrointestinal | | | | the United States this is because it works. Do not |
| upset. (7,8) Also, aspirin should not be given to | | | | worry if you have not gotten a flu shot, there is |
| children because it has been linked to the | | | | hope in herbs such as echinacea, white cedar leaf and |
| development of Reye's syndrome, a rare and | | | | wild indigo root that can help boost your immune |
| possibly fatal illness. (1,2) | | | | system to keep you strong and healthy throughout |
| Acetaminophen used over a long period of time can | | | | the cold season. These and many other wonderful |
| cause liver and kidney failure. Daily doses of no more | | | | herbs can be found at your local health food store. |
| than 4000 mgs should be taken to prevent any kind | | | | References: |
| of complications with acetaminophen. Decongestants | | | | 1. The Common Cold. National Institutes of Health |
| can cause all sorts of problems such as high blood | | | | Web site. Available at: www. niaid. nih. gov/factsheets |
| pressure, accelerated heart beat, heart palpitations, | | | | cold.htm. Accessed on April 30, 2001. |
| nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, anxiety, and insomnia. | | | | 2. Flu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Decongestants can increase the length of nasal | | | | Web site. Available at: wwwcdc. gov/ncidod/diseases |
| congestion so use should be limited if possible. (9,10) | | | | flu/fluinfo.htm. Accessed April 30, 2001. |
| The common cold or flu can leave you suffering if | | | | 3. Wustenberg R, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH, Kohler |
| left untreated, but nobody wants to prolong the | | | | G, Stammwitz U. Efficacy and mode of action of an |
| symptoms. Lucky for us there is another answer, | | | | immunomodulator herbal preparation containing |
| echinacea, cedar leaf, and wild indigo root are natural | | | | echinacea, wild indigo, and white cedar. Adv Ther. |
| remedies that can help reduce the severity and | | | | 1999;16:51-70. |
| length of the common cold. | | | | 4. Henneicke-von Zepelin HH, Hentschel C, Schnitker |
| Contrary to the medical establishment's belief, herbal | | | | J, Kohnen R, Kohler G, Wustenberg P. Efficacy and |
| extracts are really effective for colds and flu. | | | | safety of a fixed combination phytomedicine in the |
| Echinacea is one of the most effective remedies on | | | | treatment of the common cold (acute viral |
| the market today. This plant has a beautiful purple | | | | respiratory tract infection): results of a randomised, |
| cone flower in the summer and helps treat common | | | | double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study. |
| cold symptoms along with reducing infections after | | | | Curr Med Res Op. 1999;15:214-227. |
| being exposed to them. (11) | | | | 5. Karch AM, Karch FE. Let the user beware. OTC |
| Back when settlers came to America, they had | | | | drugs aren't necessarily 'safe when taken as directed.' |
| trouble the first winter and the Native Americans | | | | Am J Nurs. 2001;101:25. |
| inhabiting the land showed them echinacea to treat | | | | 6. Ornato JP. Over-the-counter stroke? Health News. |
| illnesses and injuries. Knowledge of herbs was passed | | | | 2000;6:3. |
| down to settlers who discovered its ability to treat | | | | 7. Hirschowitz BI, Hawkey CJ. Questions regarding |
| the common cold and flu. In 1920, doctors were | | | | future research on aspirin and the gastrointestinal |
| prescribing echinacea and other herbs to help heal the | | | | tract. Am J Med. 2001;110(Suppl):S74-S78. |
| body, but in the 1930s sulfa drugs came out and | | | | 8. Hunt RH, Bowen B, Mortensen ER, et al. A |
| herbal remedies were quickly forgotten. Echinacea | | | | randomized trial measuring fecal blood loss after |
| gave way to antibiotics to treat colds and flu in | | | | treatment with rofecoxib, ibuprofen, or placebo in |
| America, but over in Europe herbs are still used | | | | healthy subjects. Am J. Med. 2000;109:201-206. |
| regularly. Scientists in Germany continued to study | | | | 9. Graf P. Adverse effects of benzalkonium chloride |
| echinacea and its properties, now there are over 280 | | | | on the nasal mucosa: allergic rhinitis and rhinitis |
| commercial preparations containing echinacea in | | | | medicamentosa. Clin Ther. 1999;21:1749-1755. |
| Germany. (12) Also, in Germany a discovery was | | | | 10. Graf P. Rhinitis medicamentosa: aspects of |
| made by combining white cedar leaf and wild indigo | | | | pathophysiology and treatment. Allergy. 1997;52:28-34. |
| root with echinacea, combined to increase immune | | | | 11. Robbers JE, Tyler VE. Echinacea. Tyler's Herbs of |
| system health which helps one fight off the common | | | | Choice. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Herbal Press; |
| cold and flu. | | | | 1999: 253-257 |
| Herbal extracts gained more interest in the early | | | | 12. Foster S, Tyler VE. Echinacea. In: The Honest |
| 1960's where echinacea gained a loyal following ever | | | | Herbal. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press; |
| since. To date echinacea continues to be and | | | | 1999:143-145. |