Echinacea

You may have heard of this purple cone-shaped flower called echinacea. There are nine known species native to the United States and Canada, though the species most commonly used for medicinal purposes is the echinacea purpurea. According to the medical center at the University of Maryland, Native Americans named this plant due to its prickly spine, of which they believed to resemble the spine of an angry hedgehog. Though seemingly named to intimidate, the plant is truly not scary at all. The source of medicine lies within the flower rather than the stem, and the plant itself is extremely popular within the medical community. It is highly regarded for its aesthetic beauty, its traditional use, as well as its close association with other flowers such as the marigolds, chrysanthemums, and daises.

 In its history, echinacea has most commonly been used to treat the common cold, but it has also been known to cure many more serious conditions than this. In the 1800s, doctors in America recommended the use of echinacea to treat scarlet fever, syphilis, malaria, blood poisoning, and diphtheria. Though these ailments are all now extremely rare in our American society, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that when the echinacea plant is consumed in tincture form, it can not only reduce pain, but stimulate the immune system to more effectively fight respiratory infection, fever, skin irritations, acne, or boils.  Herbalists also use this herb to treat a variety of symptoms, including candida, urinary tract infections, ear infections, athlete's foot, and slow-to-heal wounds.

Echinacea is such a powerful medicinal plant because of its innate chemical properties. Its healing effects lie within the chemical makeup of polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids. The flower of the echinacea purpurea is said to have one of the largest concentrations of immune-boosting properties, as compared to the root of the plant and the other plants within its genus.

When used under safe conditions and in appropriate amounts, echinacea has the ability to heal much more than commonly thought. It could be the gateway to the discovery of other wonderful medicinal plants or the solution to a dreary day. Because it is an entirely natural medicine, it can connect us back to the Earth, to the source of health and human vitality. Echinacea may just be the solution to manifesting more value in medicinal plants.

References:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/echinacea/ataglance.htm

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/echinacea