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Medical Museum Home Exhibitions Home Nature's Pharmacy Home Introduction Additional herb sites Ginkgo and Yew Marijuana, Tobacco, Yaupon and Elderberry Mullein, Sage, Horehound, Echinacea, Ginseng and Ginger Garlic, St. John's Wort, Comfrey, Deadly Nightshade and Aloe Salix, Feverfew, Cinchona, Periwinkle, Poppy and Foxglove Sugar, Herbarium Specimens, Janette Ryan-Busch, Conservation
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Nature's Pharmacy: Ancient Knowledge, Modern Medicine
Echinacea
Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea
Purple Coneflower
Name, Habitat and Appearance
The daisy-like flowers of Echinacea identify this genus as a member of the aster
family, Asteraceae. Both Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple
coneflower) and Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) have flowers with
rich purple outer petals surrounding a domelike center of sharp, spiny chaff-hence
the name Echinacea, derived from a Greek word signifying sea urchin or
hedgehog. The robust plants grow from 2 to 3 feet tall. Both species are prairie
plants of central North America, with native Echinacea purpurea found in
the more easterly tallgrass region, in open woods and prairies in southeastern
Iowa and (although rare) west to southeastern Kansas. Echinacea purpurea
is a common ornamental. Local populations found elsewhere may be escaped from
cultivation. Echinacea angustifolia is present on drier prairies throughout
the western tallgrass region (commonly in western Iowa's Loess Hills) and westward.
Echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower), which closely resembles Echinacea
angustifolia and has similar medicinal properties, is found across Iowa.
History
All of the several species of purple coneflowers were used medicinally by Native
Americans. Echinacea angustifolia was used by Plains Indians as a pain
killer for toothaches and sore throats, as well as a blood purifier and treatment
for snakebite, blood poisoning, and cancer. Echinacea purpurea was used
for snakebites, bee stings, headaches, stomach cramps, toothaches, enlarged
glands, and as a burn preventive. Medicine men bathed their hands and arms in
the juice, then picked out meat from boiling stew.
Echinacea was introduced into the United States western medical tradition in
1895, at about the same time as the first pharmaceutical preparations were synthesized.
From that time until the 1920s, Echinacea was the most widely physician-prescribed
American medicinal plant in the United States. Prior to the development of sulfa
drugs in the 1920s and antibiotics in the 1940s, United States physicians prescribed
Echinacea for gangrene, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and other serious diseases.
Once antibiotics were developed, Echinacea fell into obscurity in the United
States. The late 1930s saw the rise of research-based "phytomedicine" in Germany.
Today German use of Echinacea is heavy; in 1997, Americans spent $80 million
on Echinacea.
Warnings
If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your health care provider before using
this product. Echinacea should be used no longer than a week or two at a time.
Historical Uses<
- Short-term stimulant to the immune system
- Preventive for colds and flu
- To reduce symptoms of cold and flu infection
- To prevent bacterial, fungal and viral infections
- To control progression of infection
- Externally to heal minor cuts and scrapes
- Mild antibacterial and fungicidal to slow spread of bacteria
What the Science Says
- Studies indicate that echinacea does not appear to prevent colds or other infections.
- Studies to date have not proven that echinacea shortens the course of colds or flu. For example, two NCCAM-funded studies did not find a benefit from echinacea, either as Echinacea purpurea fresh-pressed juice for treating colds in children, or as an unrefined mixture of Echinacea angustifolia root and Echinacea purpurea root and herb in adults.1,2 Other studies have shown that echinacea may be beneficial in treating upper respiratory infections.3
- NCCAM is continuing to support the study of echinacea for the treatment of upper respiratory infections.
Side Effects and Cautions
- When taken by mouth, echinacea usually does not cause side effects. However, some people experience allergic reactions, including rashes, increased asthma, and anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction). In clinical trials, gastrointestinal side effects were most common.
- People are more likely to experience allergic reactions to echinacea if they are allergic to related plants in the daisy family, which includes ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies. Also, people with asthma or atopy (a genetic tendency toward allergic reactions) may be more likely to have an allergic reaction when taking echinacea.
- It is important to inform your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using, including echinacea. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated care.
Sources
- Taylor JA, Weber W, Standish L, et al. Efficacy and safety of echinacea in treating upper respiratory tract infections in children: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003;290(21):2824–2830.
- Barrett BP, Brown RL, Locken K, et al. Treatment of the common cold with unrefined echinacea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2002;137(12):939–946.
- Fugh-Berman A. Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory infections. Seminars in Integrative Medicine. 2003;1(2):106–111.
- Echinacea. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed June 30, 2005.
- Echinacea (E. angustifolia DC, E. pallida, E. purpurea). Natural Standard Web site. Accessed June 30, 2005.
- Echinacea. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:88–102.
Click here for more sites on echinacea.
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