Echinacea is a very popular medical plant in the natural supplement market in western countries. It has been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years and for varieties of ailments ranging from snakebites to syphilis, to burns and dysentery. Today, Echinacea is used to prevent, treat and shorten the duration of uncomplicated upper-respiratory tracts infections, for example, the common cold. Other clinical uses of Echinacea extract that may not be related to this infection include CFS, migraines, acid indigestions, hemorrhoids, UV radiation skin damage and herpes. According to National Health Interview Survey, the sale of Echinacea in the U.S is drastically increasing over years with millions of adult using it to treat the common cold and other related ailments. In Germany, millions of physician prescriptions for Echinacea are recorded each and every year.
The few popular brands currently on the market for adults are: Natural factors echinamide fresh extract and A. Vogel Echinaforce. For kids, there are Echinacea Glycerite Echinacea and A Vogel Force Junior chewable tablets. Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Echinacea Extract and Gaia Herbs Echinacea Supreme liquid-Phyto capsules are also well known.
There are more other brands out there all with different forms of preparation. You will find them in tinctures both alcohol and glycerin bases, others as capsules, either powder or liquid, gummy bears, tablets, teas or chewable. Many people would go for tincture because it works very well at extracting photochemical in plants at the pick of its freshness and readily absorbed by the body. They, however, have a bitter and pungent taste, which is more likely going to leave your mouth tingling for a while. Those who cannot stand the taste usually top them up with sweet juice. Capsules are a preference to many people, the tablet is much more convenient and so to say more palatable and very effective just like the tinctures. People do not like tea form because of the bitter taste, but there are those who will be okay with it. “One’s man meat is another man poison” so they say. For children, you can go for chewable, or glycerin tincture. People also use gummy form for kids because they have additional ingredients, but what matters most is what will work best for you and your kids. Each and of every of echinacea preparation is usually designed for a specific medical condition. For example:
Each and every of these brands and many more contains different components and potency derived from different plant parts and varieties. So it is important to be keen when shopping on any Echinacea supplements or medicine. Reading the label, warning and direction is imperative for consumers, as well as for those, who are selling or prescribing any Echinacea products.
