Echinacea

Echinacea includes several varieties of the daisy family, or coneflowers, all native plants of America. Some echinacea products are derived from the thickened, underground rootlike stem (rhizome) and roots of E. pallida. Most products are prepared from the aboveground plant, E. purpurea, which has become the more commonly cultivated and studied species.

Research has shown that echinacea enhances the activities of immune cells and can be used for the supportive treatment of influenzalike infections.

Dose
Echinacea is available in a variety of product types.

• For extracts of E. pallida prepared from dried roots, the recommended daily dose corresponds to 900 milligrams of herb.
• The recommended daily dose of E. purpurea capsules is one 500-milligram capsule, corresponding to 6 to 9 milliliters of expressed juice.
• Use of echinacea products should not exceed 8 weeks.

Cautions
Situations in which use of echinacea is not advised: Do not use echinacea (1) in the presence of progressive systemic disease, such as tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, immunodeficiency, or autoimmune disorders or (2) in the presence of a known allergy to plants in the daisy (Asteraceae) family.

Side Effects
There are no known side effects of echinacea, with the possible exception of allergic responses.

Drug Interactions
There are no known interactions of echinacea with any drugs.