Echinacea, beautiful as a flower and best known for its immune enhancing ability..

Echinacea fragrant angel is the name of the above lovely flower.... .............

Also known as purple coneflower, echinacea is a member of the aster family (Asteraceae) and is native to North America. Common purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench. syn. Rudbeckia purpurea(L.) and narrow-leaved purple coneflower (E. angustifolia DC.) are the two major species grown commercially in Alberta, primarily as medicinal plants.

An extract from the roots is used to strengthen the human immune system and has recently gained popularity in the health food market. Echinacea plants have large, attractive flowers, are easy to grow, and can withstand high temperatures and humidities.

Healthy echinacea plants produce single, long-stalked, terminal flower heads up to 15 cm in diameter. As shown in Figure 1, the head has a prominent, cone-shaped centre of brownish-red disk flowers surrounded by petal-like, purple-rose ray flowers. The plants provide a profusion of showy blooms borne in succession for two months or more in late summer.

Echinacea is also grown as a garden ornamental and for cut flowers.

Echinacea is best known for its immune enhancing ability, but has proven very effective in many other areas as well.

Colds, coughs and flu and other upper respiratory conditions, enlarged lymph glands, sore throat, urinary tract infections and other minor infections, it also help combat herpes and candida, wounds, skin regeneration and skin infections (external use), psoriasis, eczema and inflammatory skin conditions (external use)

Echinacea stimulates the immune system and it promotes T-cell activation while it increases the activity of the immune system. It helps white blood cells attack germs and these effects may decrease if taken for more than a few weeks.

Echinacea is generally not recommended for use by people with diseases of the immune system such as HIV, multiple sclerosis, or tuberculosis. The German government recommends against using Echinacea if you have these conditions. Some researchers believe that Echinacea could actually worsen these immune system problems.

Even though there are some restrictions on taking Echinacea the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.