Echinacea - a real gift of nature to man. Everything is useful in it: roots, stems, leaves, and inflorescences. In addition, it is unusually beautiful, its bright large inflorescences - a true decoration for the garden. Let's talk about the beneficial properties of echinacea and contraindications to its use, consider how to procure and store raw materials, and also briefly find out which echinacea has a chemical composition.
The chemical composition of echinacea
Aerial part of Echinacea pyrocatechin), resins and phytosterols. The rhizome contains inulin, betaine, glucose, phenol carboxylic acids, essential and fatty oils, resins. Each part of Echinacea contains enzymes, antioxidants, organic acids, vitamins A, E, C, macro- (calcium, potassium) and trace elements (selenium, cobalt, silver, molybdenum, zinc, manganese).
Did you know? The Indians called Echinacea "the evening sun". They used it for bites of poisonous insects and snakes, and hence the plant also received the name "snake root".
Medicinal properties of Echinacea
The range of medicinal properties of echinacea is very large. It is endowed with antiviral, antifungal, immune system strengthening, antimicrobial, antirheumatic, detoxification and anti-inflammatory properties. Widely used in the fight against all kinds of infectious diseases: SARS, influenza, swine flu, urinary tract infections (UTI), upper respiratory tract infections, human papillomavirus, vaginal yeast infections, syphilis, typhoid fever, malaria, tonsillitis, bloodstream infections, streptococcal infections, warts and diphtheria, ear infections.
Echinacea is also used for dizziness, low content of white blood cells, migraines, anxiety, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, heartburn, bites of rattlesnakes. It is widely used externally for the treatment of abscesses, boils, skin wounds, gum disease, burns, ulcers, eczema, psoriasis, herpes simplex virus, bee stings and mosquitoes, and hemorrhoids. This plant is also a good helper for dermatological problems, because acne and ulcers, acne and warts, boils and eczema on the skin heals Echinacea. It removes pigment spots and freckles, it relieves inflammation of the skin and smoothes wrinkles. It also enhances hair growth, gives it shine and saves from dandruff.
Echinacea preparations
Echinacea-based preparations are now extremely popular and are sold in pharmacies in many forms - dried flowers, capsules, drops, extract in tablets and lozenges, powders, teas and juices, alcohol tincture. The pharmacological industry of many countries manufactures preparations of their Echinacea purpurea to strengthen the human immune system (for example, Immunal). Echinacea preparations may be prescribed for children from the age of six, and alcohol tincture from the age of twelve.
More than three hundred types of echinacea preparations are now known, and the list of diseases for which echinacea preparations are consumed has exceeded seventy names. Echinacea preparations have immunostimulating, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Did you know? About 10% of the total North American and European dietary supplements market is taken with Echinacea.
Use in folk medicine: treatment of echinacea diseases
The healing properties of echinacea for a long time have been applied in traditional medicine in the form of teas, decoctions, tinctures and alcohol tinctures. Echinacea treatment was simply indispensable for flu and cold, constipation and gastritis, abscesses and ulcers, headache, joint pain, prostate adenoma, inflammation in women, and was used to regulate metabolism and well-being.
Echinacea tea for flu and cold
Echinacea tea is a very valuable aid for colds and flu. It lowers body temperature, has an antimicrobial effect, does not allow bacteria and viruses to proliferate. Echinacea tea is made like this: one teaspoon of crushed plant root, one teaspoon of leaves and three flowers are poured with boiling water (0.5 l) and infused for about 40 minutes. To take tea when treating a disease, you need one glass three times a day, and for the purpose of prevention, one glass a day.
Echinacea tincture will relieve fatigue, increase immunity
Perhaps the most pronounced useful quality of echinacea is its ability to raise immunity and strengthen the entire body. It should be used by anyone who is often stressed and confronted with fatigue. To prepare the echinacea tincture, in an enamel saucepan, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water with 30 g of dry or fresh flowers, cover and boil for 10 minutes. Then let it brew in the heat for five hours to achieve the highest concentration of beneficial substances. Then strain the infusion, add honey, syrup, sugar or berries juice to taste. Drink half a glass three times a day.
Echinacea tincture for constipation or gastritis
In treating these ailments, tincture of Echinacea will help according to this recipe: pour 20 g of raw materials (stems, flowers, leaves) with a glass of vodka, leave to stand in a dark place for twenty days, shake occasionally. Before taking the tincture must be filtered and take 20-30 kapeltri times a day before meals.
Important! The course of treatment lasts a week and a half. Then a break is taken for three days and the treatment is repeated.
Alcohol tincture for prostate adenoma
If you have prostate adenoma, you can use Echinacea alcohol tincture. It can be purchased at a pharmacy or made independently: freshly crushed dry leaves of Echinacea pour alcohol (vodka) in the ratio of 1:10, let it brew for ten days. Take 25-30 drops three times daily before meals.
Echinacea decoction for headaches and pain in the joints
Echinacea decoction can help with headaches, migraines, pain in the joints, insomnia. The decoction is prepared as follows: a teaspoon of crushed fresh (dry) leaves of Echinacea is poured with a glass of boiling water, put into a water bath for five to ten minutes, then removed from the water bath and infused for a while. Eat before meals three times a day, 100 ml.
For headaches, you can also use honey with echinacea, prepared according to this recipe: crush into powder all parts of echinacea and mix well with honey (300 g of honey - 100 g of echinacea powder). It is used three times a day with tea.
How to prepare medicinal raw materials from echinacea
Medicinal properties have all the parts of the plant. The above-ground part of Echinacea is collected in summer (July-August), and the rhizome with roots in spring and late autumn. Only flowering plants are harvested, and as for the roots, three or four-year roots are suitable for medicines. Harvested raw materials are dried in the shade in the fresh air, spreading it in a thin layer, or in special dryers. Stored raw materials in a dry place. Echinacea herb can be stored no more than six months, and echinacea tincture can be stored for one to five years, in a well-closed bottle, in a dark and cold place.
Did you know? Only three types of Echinacea have found their application in medical practice - purple, pale and narrow-leaved, but still most of all drugs, dietary supplements, ointments are made from Echinacea purpurea.
Contraindications
Despite all the medicinal properties, you can not take Echinacea:
- people who suffer from any autoimmune diseases;
- pregnant women (the effect of echinacea on the fetus has not been studied enough) and lactating mothers;
- people with leukemia, tuberculosis and rheumatism;
- hypertensive patients;
- with allergies to echinacea itself;
- with acute angina.
If echinacea is used in large quantities, insomnia is possible (the person becomes overly emotional, vomiting appears, the work of the kidneys and intestines is upset).
Important! It is forbidden to use echinacea for more than one month, no matter what.
Using drugs from echinacea, do it consciously, do not overdo it, and it will help you get rid of many ailments.
