Medicinal properties and uses of Echinacea purpurea. Extraordinary Echinacea purpurea

Purple Echinacea is a medicinal plant with immunomodulatory properties. Thanks to him, our body quickly copes with a variety of ailments, such as SARS, influenza.

Echinacea is used in the preparation of a variety of medicinal preparations, but best effect has raw materials prepared independently, as it will be free and you can be sure of the freshness of the collected funds.

Echinacea for diseases

Purple Echinacea is a plant that came from North America. Every part of it has healing properties. The roots, leaves, flowers contain immune-stimulating substances that can destroy viruses, fungi, and bacteria.

For many years, Indians have used echinacea to treat colds, diphtheria, malaria, blood poisoning, and more. This plant has a lot of useful properties, but there are also contraindications.

plant description

Echinacea purpurea is a plant from the genus Asteraceae. Almost until the middle of the twentieth century, the flower was used in folk medicine, and after that it began to be grown as garden culture. Since 1938, it has been used in official medicine. Dr. Madaus conducted a study of purple echinacea, after which he began to use the plant for sore throats, tonsillitis, and inflammation of the internal organs. The list of diseases from which the plant helps is constantly updated. Later, echinacea was officially included in the pharmacopoeias of many foreign countries, and also began to be used as a medicinal raw material in the production of various pharmaceuticals.

Chemical composition

The ground part of echinacea contains many different useful elements. There are mucus, resins, polysaccharides, essential oils, hydroxycinnamic acids, saponins, polyamides, echinacin, echinacoside, enzymes, vitamins, phytosterols, palmitic and linoleic acids.

The root contains a lot of inulin, polysaccharides, resins. It also contains essential oil, phenolcarboxylic acids, betaine, echinacoside and echinacin, vitamins, enzymes and other useful elements.

It contains a lot of essential oil.

plant properties

The use of Echinacea purpurea is very wide. This plant helps to cope with many diseases, but primarily the plant is used as an immunostimulant. Pharmaceutical companies produce tinctures of Echinacea purpurea. It is already ready for use. The drug is made on the basis of purple echinacea extract or plant juice.

The herb has antibacterial, fungicidal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Echinacea preparations are strong activators of macrophages, lymphocytes and granulocytes. Thus, the functioning of the immune system is stimulated: the plant gently stimulates the work of the adrenal cortex, increases the production of hormones. Also, the medicinal preparations that make up the plant have anti-allergic and anti-rheumatic properties.

The instructions for the use of echinacea purpurea say that this plant helps with depression, SARS, inflammatory pathologies, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, cystitis, prostatitis, as well as wounds and ulcers, burns.

In folk medicine, decoctions, extracts, and infusions are used. The drugs are taken as antiseptic, to remove warts, with physical overwork. Echinacea-based products show good results after antibiotic treatment, radiation therapy and the use of cytostatics.

Echinacea can be brewed as a tea to strengthen and boost immunity. To do this, it is enough to pour a teaspoon of raw materials in a teapot with boiling water. Tea is infused for ten minutes. It is taken in a cup once a day, but not longer than a week. It is better to alternate such teas with other means, taking echinacea once a week, and on other days - other vitamin teas that can strengthen the immune system.

Contraindications

The instructions for use of Echinacea purpurea say that this plant should not be used during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Do not use the plant for leukemia, tuberculosis and in case of individual intolerance. In any case, the drug should be taken only after consulting a doctor.

Dosage of tablets and solution

Pharmacological companies produce echinacea in the form of tablets and solutions. According to the instructions, echinacea purpurea in the form of tablets can be used by children over the age of twelve years and adults, one tablet three times a day. For children aged six to twelve years, the drug is prescribed at a dosage of 1 tablet 1-2 times a day. Children aged four to six years are prescribed the drug in a tablet once a day.

The oral solution is applied three times a day at the dosage prescribed by the doctor. Be sure to dilute the solution with water before use.

Duration of admission - no more than eight weeks.

Side effects

Echinacea is a herbal remedy that can cause side effects. Sometimes there is an allergic reaction to plant preparations in the form of itching, rash, bronchospasm. In isolated cases, anaphylactic shock occurs.

With prolonged use of echinacea, leukopenia may develop.

Echinacea during pregnancy and lactation

Scientists cannot say what effect echinacea has on pregnancy, since no such experiments have been conducted. Because of this, it is not recommended to use the plant during pregnancy and lactation.

Alcohol tincture of echinacea

Tincture can be bought at a pharmacy, or you can make it yourself at home. All parts of the plant are used for it, including rhizomes.

To prepare the tincture, you need to take fifty grams of crushed raw materials, place in a dark glass container and pour alcohol (0.25 l). The remedy is infused for two weeks, periodically shaken. After the composition is infused, it is filtered.

Alcohol tincture is used to treat a variety of ailments. It can be used for rubbing with sore joints, make night compresses with it.

Alcohol is good for healing festering wounds. To do this, a tablespoon of tincture is diluted with a spoonful of water. The resulting remedy treats the wound.

With radiculitis and myositis, compresses are indicated. For them, you need to take a piece of tissue, moisten it with tincture and attach it to a sore spot. From above it is covered with polyethylene and a scarf.

plant infusion

Flowers are used to prepare the infusion. A teaspoon of raw materials is poured into a glass of boiling water and insisted for two hours. Then the agent is filtered. Ready infusion is used for emotional overstrain, as well as for chronic stress. For this purpose, a glass of the drug is drunk during the day in small sips.

For colds, take half a glass three times a day.

Good results are shown by taking an infusion to enhance potency: for this purpose, the infusion is drunk in a glass twice a day.

In case of obesity, in order to reduce cravings for sweets, it is recommended to drink half a glass of infusion before meals.

Oil

You can prepare the oil yourself, or you can buy it ready-made, especially since the price of echinacea purpurea is low (50 ml tincture will cost 150 rubles).

To prepare the oil, the roots are taken, washed thoroughly and passed through a meat grinder. Then one hundred grams of the resulting slurry is poured into 0.5 liters sunflower oil and insist in a cool dark place for three weeks. After that, the agent is filtered. The finished product is stored in the refrigerator.

The oil helps well with a duodenal ulcer or stomach ulcer, a teaspoon of oil is mixed with the same amount. sea ​​buckthorn oil and taken orally once a day on an empty stomach. The therapy lasts two weeks.

For bronchitis, the oil is used three times a day. Be sure to drink water.

Good results are obtained by the use of echinacea for the treatment of dermatological diseases. The oil helps with eczema, dermatitis. For treatment, it is applied to the affected areas several times a day.

When seizing with oil, the corners of the mouth are lubricated every three hours for two weeks.

Echinacea decoctions

Echinacea can be used to make decoctions. They use flowers and leaves. Dry, crushed raw materials are poured with water and put on fire. The product is boiled for five minutes, then cooled and filtered.

A decoction helps to cope with a breakdown: for this, they drink a glass of the remedy, dividing it into four doses. In diseases of the kidneys, a decoction of one hundred milliliters is taken three times a day.

Echinacea can be used to wash wounds.

The plant shows good results with a rash: lotions are used to cope with it.

Echinacea cultivation

Grow echinacea on your own garden plot very simple. This plant is propagated by seeds and division of the bush. The last method allows you to quickly get big plants with a strong root system. Planting Echinacea purpurea is best done in the spring. With cluster division, raw materials can be collected already in the first year.

When sown with seeds in the first year, there will be no flowering. The plant actively increases the root mass, and blooms in the second year. Flowering begins in mid-July and lasts until frost.

The plant is planted in sunny areas. Although it grows well in the shade. If we compare the bush in the sun and in the shade, then when grown in the shade, the bushes are more powerful, with large leaves and huge flowers. There are no other differences.

Echinacea purpurea is easy to care for. The plant needs to be watered abundantly. This plant loves moisture, so it is watered very plentifully. Responds well to fertilization. For the entire growing season, the plant is fed twice per season. At the end of September, the stems are cut.

Seeds ripen after flowering. To get new plants, just scatter them where you want to get new bushes. Next year they will rise by themselves, and in a year they will delight abundant flowering and large quantity medical material.

How to collect

All parts of the plant are used to treat ailments. Collect it in dry sunny weather, immediately after the morning dew. When collecting roots weather do not play a role.

Leaves from young plants of the first year of life are collected in autumn. In plants of the second and subsequent years of life, the leaves are cut in the spring, as soon as they bloom. It is impossible to completely remove the foliage, since in this case the bush will not bloom.

The resulting greens are dried in a ventilated room. Sun rays adversely affect the workpiece, so you need to carefully consider the choice of a place for drying raw materials.

The inflorescences of the plant are collected at the very beginning of their flowering. At this time, they contain many useful substances. After a cut, after about three weeks, the echinacea will bloom again.

Inflorescences are dried in the same way as leaves. This video shows how to brew flowers.

The rhizomes are harvested or in early spring or in late autumn, after pruning the aerial part of the plant.

All harvested raw materials are stored in glass containers or in fabric bags. Raw materials are used not only for the treatment of diseases, but also as prophylactic agents for various ailments.

The healing properties and contraindications of echinacea were first described by North American shamans. The Indians called this grass "golden flower" and "evening sun." She saved from many diseases: she was treated with colds, headaches, wounds, burns, ulcers, venereal diseases, used as an antidote for bites of poisonous insects and snakes. Taken in the form of decoctions, mixed with other herbs. Echinacea came to Europe in the 17th century. At first it was used only as an ornamental plant, later it began to be used in medicine.

Features of Echinacea purpurea

Translated from the Greek "echinos" means "hedgehog". Perhaps the name of the plant was due to the internal pointed flowers. When they dry out, they look like hedgehog thorns. What is the herb Echinacea purpurea famous for?

Distribution area

This plant is native to eastern North America. Here echinacea grows in the wild, found on sandy river banks, rocky soils, loves dry areas. In Europe, the grass has taken root as an agricultural crop, which is often grown on household plots, in parks, gardens as an ornamental and medicinal plant.

Botanical description

Echinacea purpurea. botanical illustration Sydenham Edwards from The Botanical Magazine, vol. 1., no. 2, 1792.

There are 11 species of this plant in the genus. The most famous of them are white, purple, narrow-leaved echinacea. They are used in folk medicine. But few people have heard of Echinacea paradoxical, feigning, bloody, Tennessee - all this decorative types plants that adorn our flower beds and front gardens. In folk medicine, Echinacea purpurea is most often used. What does this plant look like?

• It can be up to 1–1.5 m high.
• The leaves are narrow, oval, with pubescence and small teeth.
• Straight, rough stem splits upward.
• On a split stem, inflorescences are formed in the form of baskets.
• Baskets can be up to 15 cm in diameter.
• The inner tubular flowers are pointed, dark red or brownish.
• Reed marginal flowers are pink and purple.

Echinacea blooms for a long time, starting from the end of June and ending with the first frosts in the Central Russian zone. Sometimes you can find another name for this type of grass - purple rudbeckia. This is an erroneous synonym. In modern botanical catalogs, these are two different genera.

healing action

What are the medicinal properties of echinacea? Thanks to what useful substances is it popular in traditional and folk medicine?

• Chemical composition . There are many trace elements in the grass. Among them are reserves of zinc, selenium, iron, manganese, silicon, calcium, cobalt, silver, potassium and other trace elements. The flower is rich in vitamins, valuable essential oils, tannins, organic acids, polysaccharides, alkaloids, glycosides, resins. It contains enzymes, flavonoids, phytosterols, saponins. Healing substances are found in flowers, stems, stem, basal leaves and rhizomes of Echinacea.
• Immunomodulator. Such well-known plants as ginseng, lemongrass, eleutherococcus are immune system stimulants, that is, they invigorate the body, restore impaired immunity. Echinacea has a different principle of action: it pushes immune system to independent work, to use an internal resource. It has been clinically proven that the herb can be used as an antiviral agent in the treatment and prevention of SARS, influenza.
• Antioxidant. Thanks to selenium, a group of vitamins B and C, echinacea is able to bind free radicals and remove them from the body, which prevents cancer and premature aging of the body.
• Antiseptic and antibiotic. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of the herb were well known to the Native American tribes. Today, echinacea-based preparations are used externally for antiseptic treatment of the skin, but they are also taken orally for viral (including herpes), fungal and bacterial infections. Conducted clinical trials in which it was proved that echinacea is active against staphylococci and streptococci.

Indications for use

• Colds, SARS, influenza (treatment and prevention).
• Inflammatory processes on the nasal mucosa, oral cavity, throat.
• Respiratory diseases.
• Gastric ulcer.
• Urinary tract infections.
• Externally: dermatitis, trophic ulcers, burns, wounds, boils, eczema, insect bites, psoriasis.

Also, the drug is prescribed for rehabilitation after prolonged illnesses, radiotherapy for oncological diagnoses, to remove toxins from the body in case of poisoning. chemicals, heavy metals.

Contraindications

What are the contraindications for Echinacea purpurea?

• Autoimmune diseases.
• AIDS.
• Tuberculosis.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Leukemia and leukemia.
• Individual sensitivity to grass.
• Pregnancy and lactation period.
• Older people take in limited doses.
• Children under 12 years old.

Echinacea can pose the greatest danger to people with diseases of the immune system. The drug can lead to unpredictable immune shifts that will be dangerous to health and life. However, some restrictions (eg, pregnancy, lactation, age) are introduced due to the lack of clinical trials. The harm of echinacea has not been proven in this case, but the benefits have not been clinically confirmed either.

Echinacea contains no toxic components. In rare cases, there are side effects in the form of an allergic reaction to the grass. Sometimes there is a tingling and numbness of the tongue after oral administration, which is explained by the action of unsaturated acids. But this symptom passes quickly. In case of an overdose, such manifestations are possible: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, chills, nervous excitement. In this case, the drug should be immediately discontinued and seek medical help.

How is echinacea used in pharmacology and traditional medicine

The most valuable thing in echinacea is its juice. To save it beneficial features, alcohol is used as a preservative in pharmacology, lemon acid, sugar, and in folk medicine - vodka and honey. Tinctures are made from the juice, but dry extract of the herb (flowers, leaves, stems, root) is also used.

Forms of release in pharmacology

Echinacea pharmaceutical preparations are available in different dosage forms. The herb extract is also added to other preparations that activate the immune system.

• Tincture. Produced on the basis of fresh crushed Echinacea purpurea (roots and rhizomes) and 50% ethyl alcohol. For preventive purposes, take 5-10 drops 2 times a day. During the acute period of infection and initial stage diseases, increased doses are recommended: the tincture can be drunk 15 drops 6 times a day. Read more about the use of echinacea tincture.
• syrup. It contains not only echinacea, but also extracts of wild rose, rowan fruits, green tea. The syrup can be taken in a tablespoon once a day for the prevention of seasonal viral infections. You can drink the medicine for 3 weeks. Then they take a break in treatment for a month, on the recommendation of a doctor, repeat the course.
• Tablets . The dry extract is obtained from Echinacea purpurea and angustifolia. Adults are allowed to take 1 tablet 3-4 times a day. Tablets are not swallowed, but dissolved until completely dissolved in the mouth. The therapeutic effect is observed a week after the start of administration. The course of treatment should not exceed 2 months. Tablets are prohibited for children under 12 years of age. Shelf life - 3 years. The most famous commercial names for echinacea tablets are "Immunal", "Immunorm". Also offered dietary supplement "Neoline echinacea" in the form of effervescent tablets with the addition of ascorbic acid and zinc.

How to prepare medicine at home

Echinacea found wide application in folk medicine. Healers with extensive experience prefer to grow this valuable plant themselves and give advice on preparing potions from echinacea.

Echinacea tea preparation

1. Pour 0.5 liters of boiling water.
2. Insist 30 minutes.

You can take tea 1 glass a day for prevention. At the beginning of the flu, colds, SARS, you can drink loading dose- 3 glasses a day, with the addition of honey.

Preparing the mixture with honey

1. Grind the dry parts of the plant into a powder.
2. Take 100 g of powder.
3. Put 300 g of honey in it.
4. Mix thoroughly.

This mixture can be taken 3 times a day in a tablespoon with tea. It is recommended as a prophylactic for ARVI, fatigue, headache.

Preparation of alcohol tincture

1. Take 20 g of dry echinacea.
2. Pour 200 g of vodka.
3. Infuse for 14 days, shaking occasionally.

In therapeutic doses, the tincture is taken 30 drops 3 times a day, it can be diluted with water.

Decoction preparation

1. Take 1 teaspoon of dried echinacea herb.
2. Pour in a glass of boiling water.
3. Hold in a water bath for 15 minutes.
4. Leave for 1 hour.

Take a decoction 3 times a day for ½ cup. Instead of dried grass, fresh leaves and flowers can be used.

9 species of plants belong to the genus of aster perennials, but the most popular and favorite species of flower growers is echinacea purpurea.

Described for the first time by Carl Line, it still delights and surprises with its ability to have a healing effect on the human body. Preparations based on it are widely used by folk and traditional medicine, it is a favorite flower of florists and landscape designers.

Echinacea purpurea is an unpretentious and undemanding plant, but in order to get a good result, its cultivation must be organized correctly.

We will try to tell you everything you need to know for planting and growing it.

Meet Echinacea Purpurea

It is a perennial rhizome. In nature, Echinacea purpurea grows in the eastern part North American continent. Fields, rocky hills and dry steppes of the USA are literally strewn with this flower. Even the American Indians were aware of the healing properties of echinacea, so they loved and grew it everywhere.

Its name, which in Greek means "prickly as a hedgehog," it was not accidental. Its stems are rough to the touch and straight, by the way, their height sometimes reaches one and a half meters.

The leaves are wide, slightly elongated, tapering upwards. Its beautiful, reminiscent of large chamomile inflorescences, inflorescences - baskets are combined into groups of red, white, yellow, pink flowers. Flowering begins in mid-July, at this time bumblebees, butterflies and bees always circle over the plant, this is an excellent honey plant. During the flowering of echinacea, the air around is filled with an extraordinary aroma. As a rule, flowering lasts two months.

A tetrahedral achene is considered a fruit.

You can plant a plant in spring or autumn. Echinacea purpurea propagates by dividing the bush or seeds, but the first method is more often used.

Choose a place

The place should be well lit by the sun, although partial shade is also suitable, the soil should be fertile, slightly alkaline, acidic soil needs liming. on wet or sandy soils the flower will not grow, but this statement can also be argued.

Start planting seedlings

Seedlings are planted in holes, to a depth of 5 cm, the distance between them should be 30 cm. Do not bury the seedling, it must be set to the same depth at which it grew before planting.

If you split the root before planting, dig a hole slightly larger than the root. In the holes, before planting, do not forget to put compost. Planting ends with abundant watering.

Echinacea does not require much attention, so caring for it does not take much time and effort. It is so versatile and unpretentious that it is not afraid of rain, frost, drought, or poor soils.

How to arrange care

She loves watering, it is better to water often, but in moderation. Like any home plant, she suffers from the neighborhood with weeds, so destroy them as soon as they appear.

If the plant grows in one place for more than 4 years, it will weaken, flowering will become scarce or disappear altogether.

A mixture of rotted compost and ash is the best top dressing for echinacea, but the need for it appears only in the second year of the plant's life. It promotes good growth, and most importantly - lush bloom. Two top dressings are enough - in the spring and after the echinacea purple has faded.

Although the erect stems are impressive in size, they do not need props.

If you do not plan to collect seeds, get rid of wilted inflorescences, they will spoil the aesthetic appearance of the flower bed and may cause rot on the site. They are removed along with the stems as long as it has green leaves. Removing wilted buds will also promote lush blooms.

We have already talked about the methods of propagation of echinacea, now let's talk about them in more detail.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The division of the bush is simple and effective method breeding, but remember, this is how plants reproduce only after they are 4 years old. Thereafter, the procedure must be repeated every three years.

First, the plant is carefully dug up and removed from the ground. The rhizome will be divided correctly if there are 3-4 renewal buds in each part. Landing is the same as the first.

Sowing seeds

Only species specimens propagate by seeds. When sowing seeds in the ground, you need to remember that optimum temperature for their growth - 13C. The holes are covered with a thin layer of earth. But spring weather sometimes brings surprises, so no one guarantees the germination of seeds and the integrity of fragile and tender seedlings.

The most reliable way of planting is seedlings. At the end of winter - the beginning of spring, purchased soil is poured into boxes or containers and seeds are sown.

The sowing depth is not large - only 5 mm, after which they are lightly sprinkled with soil and watered from the sprayer. Seeds germinate for a long time, because their seed coat is very strong, it will take a month and a half, or maybe less or more. Soon, the shoots that have risen and gained strength are planted in a permanent place.

This is done when the threat of repeated frosts has passed, for the middle band it is the twentieth of May. The pits are not made large, but for large grown seedlings they should be larger.

Planted seedlings are cared for in the same way as an adult plant. It is watered, weeds are removed nearby, the soil is loosened in the flower bed.

A plant planted with seeds will please with its flowering only in the second year.

Information for beginners

The soil can be made by yourself, the main thing is that it be light, moisture-absorbing and well breathable. Do-it-yourself soil or store-bought soil must be disinfected, this can be done in the following way:

• sprinkle the soil on a leaf and place for several minutes in an oven preheated to 220C;
• withstand ten days in the cold;
• water the soil with a weak solution of manganese and let it dry.

To speed up the germination of seeds, they need to be soaked. Soak a paper towel in warm water and wrap it around the seeds, then place it on a saucer. For wetting, you can take a solution that stimulates seed germination.

As the napkin dries, it is moistened. Do not cover it so that air can penetrate the fabric.

After the seeds have hatched, they begin to sow them. This does not happen amicably, do not wait for a 1200% result, start when at least 1/3 of the seeds are ready.

What to fear

If the care of the plant is organized correctly, there is no need to be afraid of diseases and pests, but not everything and not always depends on the person. Even with proper care plants can get sick. Echinacea has strong immunity, but if you overdo it with nitrogen subcortex in a hot and rainy summer, a plaque will appear on the stem and leaves. white color. it powdery mildew, Bordeaux liquid will help to cope with the fungus.

Fungal diseases are dangerous because they weaken the plant, reduce its protective abilities, and if appropriate measures are not taken in time, it will wither and die.

At the first sign, the affected areas are removed, sometimes this is enough. But if time is lost, or the affected area is large, such measures are not enough, fungicides must be used.

Deformation of peduncles, yellowed and drying leaves are a sign of a viral disease. Sick flowers must be pulled out, removed from the site and burned. After that, disinfect the hole or, if there are several of them, then the entire area, with a dark solution of manganese. Unfortunately, there is no other way to deal with this problem yet.

If you noticed slugs on the site, collected them with your hands, but the result did not satisfy you, scatter as much nutshell as possible on the ground, this will make it difficult for the calm procession of gastropod mollusks. Bed bugs must be controlled with insecticides.

But, remember the main thing - if you follow the conditions of agricultural technology, you will not have to look for remedies and buy expensive drugs, because, as you know, it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. The most important thing is to pay attention to the inhabitants of the flower bed, examine them more often in order to identify the onset of the disease in time.

What to do when flowering is over

Of course, it is very important to have time to collect seeds at this time, because echinacea also reproduces by self-sowing. The seeds should ripen well on the bush, but this does not happen at the same time, so the seeds are harvested as they ripen. The highest quality seeds in blackened boxes, in the center of the seed basket. After collecting them, you need to clean the seeds of debris, dry well and hide for storage. But remember that over time, the germination of seeds decreases, so it is not recommended to store them for a long time.

Cold-resistant echinacea tolerates frosty winters well, it does not freeze, even if there is little snow. But young plants need help to overwinter. In October, carefully cut the stem of a young plant, mulch the root neck, if the winters in your area are cold, cover the entire flower bed with any covering material, you can use dry leaves or spruce branches.

Original garden decoration

Large groups of tall Echinacea are planted in the background of the site, low varieties in front. In not harvested for the winter seed pods like to dig wintering in middle lane birds, goldfinches and others.

Neighborhood with dahlias, salvia, yarrow, ornamental grasses and other plants will only emphasize the grace and unique beauty of echinacea. Flowers are used for cutting, they stand in water for a long time and do not wither.

Benefit and harm

The rhizome and ground part of the plant contains an incredibly large amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that have a positive effect on the human body. Together, they have a powerful antiviral, antimicrobial, wound healing, immunostimulating effect.

Preparations based on echinacea contribute to a quick recovery and strengthening of the body, they are able to restore not only physical but also mental health, heal wounds, treat sore throats, tonsillitis, and have a positive effect on blood clotting.

But, attention! Like many plants, echinacea is a powerful allergist, so preparations with it are contraindicated in small children, pregnant and lactating women, and people prone to allergic reactions. Self-medication is dangerous, so before taking medication, consult your doctor.

Do not be afraid to experiment, feel free to start planting, and let this majestic flower delight you and your loved ones with its original presentable appearance and bright, colorful flowering.

The echinacea plant is light-loving, winter-hardy, prefers moist fertile soils. Does not require special care. Her vitality is approximately at the level of pharmacy chamomile. The plant blooms in the second year of life. Flowering time up to 75 days. Echinacea purpurea reproduces well by seed. Grown through seedlings or by sowing in the ground. Sowing is recommended to be carried out in spring with dry seeds, when the earth warms up to 10 degrees, to a depth of 2-3 cm, in a wide-row way with row spacing of 45 cm. Seedlings appear 15-30 days after sowing. Fertilizing plants is carried out only in the second year in the regrowth phase in early spring.

By sowing and growing this plant, we will get a drug that will save us from many diseases and increase immunity. If you want to grow it for medicinal purposes, then the collection of grass for raw materials is carried out in the second year of life in the phase of the first half of mass flowering - July.

Herbs, leaves, flowers, stems, rhizomes and roots are used as medicinal raw materials. The grass is harvested during flowering, cutting off flowering shoots 25-35 cm long, which are consumed fresh and also dried in the shade. Unusually healing rhizomes and roots are dug up in autumn (September-October), when the content of medicinal substances in them reaches the highest level, then they are cleaned, washed from the ground, dried and cut into pieces. Dry raw materials at a temperature of 40-45 degrees or in well-ventilated areas.

Useful properties of echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpurea: application, instruction, useful properties ... According to the latest scientific data, the roots, seeds and flowers of the aerial part of the plant contain unique natural substances and components that form an extremely harmonious combination and mutually reinforcing therapeutic effect of each other.

Echinacea contains healing essential oils, polysaccharides, beneficial resins, organic acids essential for health, tannins, vitamins, and unique natural antioxidants echinocine and echinolone. Rhizomes and roots - inulin, glucose, essential and fatty oils, phenolcarboxylic acids, betaine, resins. The composition of therapeutic vital vitamins and microelements contained in echinacea is extremely rich - vitamins A, C, E, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, etc.

This wonderful plant is extremely rich nutrients, iron, necessary for the formation of red blood cells and improving blood composition, calcium, indispensable for strong bones and teeth, which is important in old age, selenium, which gives the ability to resist any disease, as well as silicon, necessary for the formation of healthy tissues after operations.

All these elements increase immunity, improve metabolism, have anti-allergic, antimicrobial, diuretic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. The roots and whole plants are considered especially beneficial in the treatment of wounds, bites and burns.

The echinacea plant came to us from North America. With this plant, the Indians successfully cured many diseases that were considered incurable in the Old World. They used echinacea as universal remedy against bites of all kinds of insects, for the treatment of snake bites. In some cases, the plant causes allergies.

Medicinal uses of echinacea

Echinacea is one of the most popular medicinal plants in the world today. The reason for this is the enormous healing power and extraordinary breadth of therapeutic use. The action is similar to ginseng, in some respects even surpasses it. It can be said without exaggeration that the herb echinacea quickly and effectively heals great amount diseases without side effects, addiction and reduce the effectiveness of preparing drugs from it.

The plant is produced in different forms, there are also special ones for children: in preparations, granules, dried form, tincture. But according to experts, children's preparations with echinacea are significantly different from those remedies that are intended for adults. You should not offer your child an alcohol tincture if you took it for your own needs. If an allergic reaction occurs, then you should stop using the herb echinacea.

Echinacea tincture for alcohol is suitable only for older children (from 12 years old), and then in a diluted form, in proportions of 1: 3 (one part of the tincture and three parts of water). It should be taken before meals, 3 times a day. At a time, the child can drink a few drops of diluted tincture. To strengthen the body, it is enough to drink the tincture for 1-2 weeks. In order to help in the treatment of a certain disease - 3-8 weeks (as the doctor says!). Side effects minimal - only an allergic reaction and then rarely! The main thing is to observe the dosage and not exceed the maximum duration of the course.

Alcohol tincture of echinacea

Echinacea tincture for alcohol is known to us better than its other preparations. You can always buy it at a pharmacy, but you can cook it yourself. Inside, they most often take a 10% tincture of alcohol from perennial roots and all other parts of plants, while stomach ulcers are very well cured, and stones from the kidneys are also dissolved and removed.

It cures prostate adenoma, inflammation of the urogenital area, female inflammatory processes, constipation, vasospasm, gastritis, normalizes and improves all metabolic processes in the body. When coughing, bronchial asthma, they rub their back, especially under the shoulder blades, for seven days in a row with alcohol tincture.

Alcohol tincture of echinacea root. Pour crushed raw root or flowers with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1: 4, leave for a month. Drink a teaspoon three times a day, use externally for compresses for burns and wounds.

Echinacea root extract. Pour fresh crushed root with 95% alcohol so that it covers the root, leave for two weeks. Strain, squeeze out the rest. Drink half an hour before meals 25-30 drops 3 times a day with water, with overwork, flu as an immunostimulating agent. Keep refrigerated.

It is worth noting that before adolescents reach the age of 20, absolutely all medicinal tinctures, even the most medicinal plants are strictly prohibited.

Echinacea Contraindications

It is recommended to take Echinacea for a month, and then take a break for a month - then the immune defense will be able to work and strengthen on its own. When used in large doses, insomnia can begin, a person becomes excitable, nausea, vomiting appear, the work of the intestines and kidneys is disturbed.

A contraindication is an allergy to the plant itself. Echinacea preparations are not recommended for pregnant and lactating women. It is possible to start treating a child with preparations containing echinacea only after consulting a pediatrician.

Grass echinacea purpurea - use and contraindications.

The human body is arranged so perfectly that it tries to cope with many diseases, consequences malnutrition and lifestyle, with poor ecology and many other problems. The success of this struggle depends on the strength of the immune system. But, alas, the body's defenses are not infinite. And weakened immunity is the diagnosis and culprit of many ailments. Nature has not left us here without her help. Since ancient times, people have been using her gifts to treat and prevent many diseases.

Not so long ago, Echinacea purpurea began to be used in domestic medicine. Although in their homeland in America, the Indians knew its amazing healing properties. They treated wounds, burns and even bites from poisonous snakes with this amazing plant. Now echinacea is widely used in homeopathy and traditional medicine and its beneficial effect on the human body never ceases to amaze.

Why is Echinacea purpurea so useful?

Inulin, glucose, betaine, phenolcarboxylic acids were found in the roots. All these unique substances that make up this wonderful plant increase the body's immunity and defenses, improve blood composition, cleanse the human circulatory and lymphatic systems, strengthen bones, and contribute to the rapid healing of wounds and tissue recovery after operations.

Medicinal properties and uses of echinacea

Echinacea purpurea is one of the most popular medicinal plants in the world. Many believe that echinacea surpasses ginseng in its healing properties and is able to cure many diseases. various diseases.

Echinacea has antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral properties and is used to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases - tonsillitis, tonsillitis, influenza, typhoid fever, diphtheria, cerebral meningitis, peptic ulcer.

Preparations from echinacea can accelerate the healing process of purulent wounds, burns, eczema, skin rashes, relieve pain, protect the body from viruses, fungi and bacteria, reduce warts on the body, prevent the reproduction of Escherichia coli, coccal infections, herpes virus.

This plant is a strong immunomodulator and is recommended for depression, physical and mental overwork. Echinacea preparations strengthen the immune system, increase the body's defenses, they are used for poisoning the body with toxic substances, drugs, radiation, and radiation sickness.

Echinacea purpurea is used for oncological diseases, since the substances contained in its composition alleviate the condition after a course of chemotherapy and contribute to faster rehabilitation and recovery of the body.

Infusions and decoctions of this plant have a therapeutic effect in hepatitis, cystitis, nephritis, are used to treat gynecological inflammatory processes, diseases of the male genital area - with prostatitis and adenoma.

In pharmacology, medicines, tablets, ointments, tinctures, extracts, herbal preparations, biologically active additives are made on the basis of echinacea.

In folk medicine for the treatment a large number diseases, teas, infusions and decoctions, alcoholic tinctures, oil, juice are used, which are taken orally and used externally as lotions, rinses, therapeutic baths, compresses. Roots, leaves, flowers are used to prepare preparations.

Contraindications for use

Echinacea purpurea is excellent medicinal plant and renders healing effect with many ailments, but echinacea should be used for treatment only after consulting with your doctor and you should definitely familiarize yourself with the contraindications for use.

This wonderful plant just like any medicine, there are contraindications that must be taken into account so as not to harm your health.

The recommended doses should be taken, higher doses have negative impact on the nervous system, cause insomnia, irritability, nausea and vomiting. It is not recommended to take echinacea preparations for more than two weeks.

Echinacea preparations improve immunity, but it should be remembered that an overdose of the drug leads to the opposite effect, to a decrease in immunity, so you need to take only the recommended dose.

The main contraindications to the use of echinacea are:

• tuberculosis

Other names: Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea herb, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, Rudbeckia purpurea.

Echinacea purpurea is perennial, originally from North America, with beautiful purple inflorescences. Echinacea has a specific taste and smell. Cultivated in Ukraine as a medicinal and ornamental plant.

FROM therapeutic purpose the roots and flowers of the plant are mainly used, preferably fresh, as well as leaves.

Echinacea roots contain: essential oil (up to 1.4%), resins, phytosterols, echinacin, echinacoside, polysaccharides, in flowers - 0.13-0.48% essential oil. It has been experimentally established that echinacea tincture is non-toxic.

Echinacea purpurea has a bacteriostatic, fungicidal, virusostatic and anti-inflammatory effect, inhibits the formation of hyaluronidase, enhances deicopoiesis, is a strong activator of macrophages, granulocytes and lymphocytes (especially T-lymphocytes), increasing the body's defenses, immunity and thus refers to plant stimulants or immune system modulators.

It also gently stimulates the adrenal cortex, increasing the production of hormones that have a certain anti-allergic and anti-rheumatic effect.

Juice from fresh inflorescences causes an acceleration of blood clotting, and when applied topically - an acceleration of wound healing.

Echinacea is popular in many countries: in the FRG, France, the USA, etc. In the FRG, the drug echinacin has been obtained for oral administration and in ampoules. The German physician Madaus (1938) recommended echinacea for angina, tonsillitis, chronic sepsis, parametritis, and various inflammatory diseases of the internal organs.

The first researcher and popularizer of echinacea in Russia was Professor S. A. Tomilin, who considered it a powerful stimulant of the central nervous system, a biostimulant and a wonderful therapeutic agent, like ginseng.

It was found that echinacea tincture has the property of enhancing sexual potency, and has a good wound healing effect on wounds and burns.

Alcohol tincture of echinacea: Berm raw crushed root or flowers, pour 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:4 and leave for 1 month or more. Take 0.5-1 teaspoon 3 times a day, and this tincture can also be used externally, for wet compresses for wounds and burns.

There is another recipe for alcoholic tincture of echinacea, using flowers: cut the flowers of purple echinacea, place in a half-liter jar, with a twist, to the top and pour good vodka, also to the top. Close the lid tightly and set aside to infuse dark place for 40 days. Then drain everything and you can use it, 15 drops, 20-30 minutes before meals, diluted in a small amount of water or added to tea.

Echinacea is used for mental depression, phenomena of mental and physical overwork, as well as infectious diseases: typhoid fever, erysipelas, scarlet fever, gonorrhea, osteomyelitis, cerebrospinal meningitis, lupus, in septic conditions. There are known cases of treatment with echinacea in patients suffering from the discoid form of lupus erythematosus (cutaneous form).

Echinacea tincture is effective for the treatment, and especially prevention, of respiratory and viral diseases(influenza, herpes simplex, SARS, etc.), with many chronic autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, nephritis, etc.), with adnexitis, cystitis, prostatitis, leukopenia caused by radiation or cystostatics, septic processes, eczema, psoriasis , burns, frostbite, trophic ulcers, purulent deep wounds, carbuncles, and also has a certain effect in oncological processes.

In some patients with chronic gastritis, pancreatitis, psoriasis and allergic rashes on the skin and mucous membranes, a positive effect of raw echinacea root tincture was noted.

It has also been found that a tincture of fresh echinacea flowers acts like a tincture of echinacea root.

Echinacea infusion: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry chopped raw materials (herbs) with 1 cup of boiling water, boil in a water bath for 10-15 minutes. Let stand until cool, then strain. Use 1/3 cup 3 times a day, see application above.

Echinacea root decoction: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of dry crushed root into 300 ml. water, boil in a water bath for 30 minutes, insist until cool and strain. Take 1-2 tbsp. spoons 3-4 times a day before meals for acute infectious diseases, chronic fatigue, influenza, etc.

Echinacea root extract: pour crushed fresh root with 95% medical alcohol so that it slightly covers it, leave for 2 weeks. Then strain and squeeze out the rest. Take an alcohol infusion of 25-30 drops 3 times a day half an hour before meals with water, as an immunostimulating agent, in case of overwork, flu (prevention, treatment), etc. Store in the refrigerator, shelf life is 2-3 years.

Echinacea contraindications. In some people, this plant causes allergies, you should not use it for pregnant and lactating women, with leukemia, progressive tuberculosis, collagenosis, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, individual intolerance.
But, as practice shows, the doctor decides in each individual case.

Echinacea

For the treatment of various diseases ethnoscience uses echinacea that is at least two years old. Medicinal raw materials plants are flowers, stems, roots and leaves. Echinacea is recommended internally for colds, flu, blood poisoning or diseases. Bladder. In addition to internal use, echinacea is still successfully and quite often used externally in the treatment of urticaria, burns, herpes and other skin diseases.

Echinacea is used for exposure to heavy metals and fungicides, liver disease, and diabetes mellitus. Preparations made on the basis of echinacea have a depressing effect on streptococci, Escherichia coli and the influenza virus present in the body.

The plant has shown good results in the treatment of prostatitis, rheumatism, osteomyelitis and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Lotions from a decoction of echinacea are used for psoriasis, insect bites, as an antidote to a snake bite. A decoction of echinacea treats stomach ulcers, normalizes blood pressure and improves the condition of the body as a whole.

Echinacea decoction. Take the fresh (dry) leaves of the plant and grind them. Now pour 1 teaspoon of chopped raw materials with a glass of boiling water. Put everything on water bath for 5-10 minutes. After removing from the water bath, the broth is allowed to brew. Take it 100 ml 3 times a day before meals.

Echinacea tincture for depression. To prepare it, you need to take 10 grams of plant roots and pour them with 100 ml of 70% alcohol. The tool is left to infuse for a day. Take tincture of 20 (30) drops three times a day.

Echinacea for headaches. We take all parts of the plant and make a powder out of them. Mix the finished powder with honey. For 100 grams of echinacea powder, you need 300 grams of honey. All contents are thoroughly mixed and taken with tea three times a day. This tool helps to normalize sleep, calms the nervous system and lowers blood pressure.

Echinacea tea for flu and colds. Take the root of the plant and grind it. Now mix 1 teaspoon of the root and the same amount of echinacea leaves with three flowers of the plant. Pour the whole mixture with two cups of boiling water and leave for 40 minutes. Tea is taken in the amount of three glasses a day in the treatment of a disease, and as a prophylaxis - one glass a day.

Echinacea tincture for constipation or gastritis. We take 200 grams of stems along with leaves and flowers and fill them with two liters of vodka. Leave to infuse for 14-20 days dark room. During the infusion period, it is necessary to periodically shake the contents. After straining the finished tincture, it is taken three times a day, 20-30 drops before meals. The course of treatment is 1.5 weeks, after which they take a break for 3 days and again resume the course of treatment, and so one more time. This tincture can be used to treat diseases of the female genital organs, diseases of the kidneys or bladder, vasospasm and stomach ulcers.

echinacea tincture

Alcohol tincture of echinacea has a powerful effect on the human immune system. Regular use of such a remedy significantly increases the number of leukocytes, activates the phagocytic response, and can also inhibit the reproduction of pathogenic microbes. In the cold season, taking such a healing tincture will lengthen the periods between episodes of viral infections, since it activates protective immune mechanisms. In addition, the unique components that make up echinacea will help get rid of inflammatory processes in the bladder, kidneys and ureter. It should also be noted that this wonderful tincture can be used to treat wounds for their speedy healing, as well as various boils and skin inflammations. It not only increases the action of histogenic phagocytes, but also promotes tissue repair.

To strengthen the children's body, modern pediatricians recommend giving children such a tincture. It is an excellent anti-cold remedy of natural origin. Side effects with long-term use of echinacea tincture are very rare. As a rule, it can be various allergic rashes and dizziness. In these cases, the tincture should be stopped immediately.

How to take echinacea? Experts prescribe such a remedy before meals (20-30 minutes) at least three times a day. Note that at the very beginning of treatment, the exact dose should not exceed 40 drops for an adult per day. In the following days, the maximum dosage is 60 drops. Children over 12 years old can take a tincture diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, 5-10 drops 2 times a day.

The appropriate duration of the course of treatment is determined by the doctor, depending on the specific characteristics of the course of the disease and its severity. With good tolerance, the drug can be used in prescribed doses until a stable therapeutic effect is achieved. However, the maximum duration should not exceed 8 weeks. For external use, it is recommended to prepare a special solution. 40 drops of tincture should be diluted in 100 ml of sodium chloride. Such a tool is shown as compresses, lotions, abdominal tampons and rinses.