Echinacea has been used for centuries by people who want to improve their chances of fighting viruses, such as the common cold and still considered one of the first go-to herbal medicine for those looking to support their immune system.
What is about this herb that gives it the power to help keep you free from coughs, sniffles and sneezes? In the past months, you've learnt the best ways to avoid viruses: social distancing, good hand hygiene and making sure you cover coughs or sneezes. However, it's impossible avoid catching a virus completely. So, what you do? You boost your immune system to help keep them at bay. Good hygiene practices combined with a healthy diet, plenty of exercises, and echinacea pills can all help to protect you against the worst of the viruses.
How does It work?
Echinacea has the ability to boost the body's natural resistance to a wide variety of infections and illnesses and was uses by native Americans to heal snake bites and septic wounds. In Europa, echinacea was the main ingredient in traditional blood purifiers and tonics. Today, echinacea is used all over the world to support the immune system, particularly in helping to fight colds and viral illnesses.
A lot of people have said that taking a course of echinacea pills before the cold season helped them to stay well all winter long. Echinacea supplements are generally designed to help relieve the symptoms of colds and flu and can be taken throughout the year to fight off viruses. Pills generally contain56 mg of extract from the root of Echinacea. Combine it with vitamin C and zinc, and you have the three key ingredients to relieve colds and flu symptoms. You can also take it whether daily to support your immune system or when you have an infection.
On top of helping fight cold and flu, echinacea is also a great anti-inflammatory remedy. So, in case you find yourself coming down with some general form of pain like a headache or a sore throat, you can take the herb to help reduce whatever inflammation is afflicting you. Its anti-inflammatory powers can also help reduce skin inflammation. So, if you are suffering from a bug bite of psoriasis, you can take it to easy your skin irritation. Echinacea can also help relax the gastrointestinal tract, which means you can also take it as a mild laxative to get things moving.
When it comes to where you can find echinacea supplements, you can basically find it at any drugstore or natural market. However, make sure that the product you are getting is from a well-known brand. Health and wellness are popular topics at the moment and not all supplements are regulated. This means you'll come across tons of companies trying to profit off of your quest for wellness and their supplements might not be as good as a reliable brand. Well-known brands are more likely to want to protect their name instead of just being something customers want to try to see if it works.
What are the Risks of Taking Echinacea?
When taken at normal doses, echinacea cause very few effects. Some individuals have reported symptoms like headache, upset stomach, drowsiness, sore throat and rash. While rarely, echinacea can cause allergic reactions. If you have an allergy so certain plants and flowers like marigolds, daisies or chrysanthemums, you should be cautious when using echinacea. You may also want to check with your doctor before using echinacea is you have an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus or take particular drugs that suppress the immune system.
What Else You Can Do to Help Reduce Your Chances of Catching a Cold?
Keep Your Hands Clean
In the last months, we've been bombarded with information saying that good hygiene is key in avoiding transferring virus from surfaces or the air into your face and into your airways. So make sure you keep washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with antibacterial soap or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel when you can't get to running water. This will help to kill off germs before they can spread.
Increase Your Vitamin Intake
Consuming a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables isn't just good for your waistline - it also helps your body fight against illness. Get your vitamin A from coloured vegetables such as squash, yellow peppers and beetroot, your vitamin D from oily fish, meat and egg yolks and vitamin C from orange, blackberries and strawberries.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep gives our bodies a chance to repair the damage that's happened during the day, including fighting infection. By getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, your body has time to recover each day, boosting your immune system and giving you the best chance of fighting viruses like the common cold and flu.
