Echinacea

Echinacea is a plant that grows commonly in the United States, and has been used traditionally in Native American medicine as a “cure-all” and to help prevent infection and to treat wounds. Echinacea is a rich source of naturally occurring nutrients such as polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids, which may attribute to its therapeutic effects.

Nowadays, echinacea is used to treat symptoms of the common cold and as an immune system booster. In addition, echinacea is used for:

• Pain relief
• Reducing inflammation
• Antiviral effects
• Urinary tract infections
• Yeast infections

There are several different species of the echinacea plant, and many products contain one or all of these species.