Echinacea is an antiviral, antibacterial, and immune stimulant, and its benefits also include repairing soft tissue, joints, and even necrosis.
Image Source S. Hermann & F. Richter from focus on
The healing properties of Echinacea
Echinacea has long been touted as an effective Anti-inflammatory (medicine) and immune stimulants, and for good reason – indeed.millions Echinacea Capsules It has been consumed by people trying to ward off colds and flu.Although the benefits Echinacea Indeed, including stimulating the body fight viral infectionIn my clinical experience, Echinacea is more effective when faced with bacterial challenges.
I use Echinacea for various abscesses, infected wounds, and even severe sepsis. Bacterial infections It has actually entered the bloodstream and has become a system throughout the body.
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However, there is another side to the benefits of echinacea – it has saved many of my patients from being disfigured or killed by rattlesnake and venomous spider bites, making echinacea an excellent choice for treating patients. Repair torn cartilage and ligaments or other joint injuries. This property is Echinacea’s ability to inhibit hyaluronidase and actually stimulate hyaluronic acid production.
I know, big talk. Wait a minute – if we talk about it in plain English, nothing here is not easy to understand.
The glue that binds us
Image Source La Casa de Goethe from focus on
Our bodies are made up of individual cells. These cells are held together by a chemical called hyaluronic acid. So if cells are the bricks that make up your body, then hyaluronic acid is the mortar that holds them together.
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The venom of rattlesnakes (and their cousins) and wandering spiders contains an enzyme (hyaluronidase) that dissolves the hyaluronic acid that holds cells together. The result is that when these animals bite, their venom actually liquefies the tissue. The process results in horrific, disfiguring wounds and sometimes death.
Several other bacteria produce this same enzyme. Wounds infected with these microorganisms can become gangrenous with extensive tissue loss.
Fortunately, echinacea can prevent or even repair damage to this process. The preventive measure comes in the form of a chemical contained in echinacea, which inhibits the destructive enzymes from working in the first place.
One of the benefits of echinacea helps with repair: it stimulates the body to produce more hyaluronic acid (the mortar between the bricks), so it has more material available for repair.
Health Benefits of Echinacea
Echinacea’s ability to increase hyaluronic acid production also makes it useful for treating ligament, cartilage, or joint injuries—even arthritisWhen we think of arthritis, we usually think of devil’s claw, white willow, yucca, frankincense, turmeric, and other common suspects. These herbs all have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce pain and reduce swelling.
Reducing pain and swelling is great, but echinacea goes a step further and can actually help the body repair damage.
Hyaluronic acid (the mortar between the bricks) is the main component of cartilage and synovial fluid (the fancy doctor’s word for “joint juice”). When joints are damaged by injury or the inflammatory process of arthritis, they need hyaluronic acid to repair.
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Echinacea increases hyaluronic acid levels by stimulating fibroblasts and chondroblasts (the cells that make cartilage)…more mortar holds the new bricks together so the body can rebuild.
So echinacea is an excellent herb that not only stimulates the immune system, kills bacteria and reduces inflammation, but also inhibits the effects of carnivorous bacteria, vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads and sambar) on tissues destruction) and hobo spiders.
Other (but related) benefits of echinacea include its ability to help heal damaged joints, ligaments, and cartilage by stimulating the exact parts of damaged joints that need to repair themselves.
Treating Spider Bites with Echinacea
Judgeking, CC BY-SA 3.0
I have also had great success using this plant for hobo spider bites. This is one of the more surprising benefits of echinacea.
Homeless bites are very painful and often lead to severe necrosis. In the case of the tramp, necrosis is not caused by hyaluronidase, but by another mechanism. The result, however, was the same: a nasty disfiguring wound.
I’ve had several treatment human hobo bites and many presumed dog hobo bites (presumably because dogs never tell me what spiders look like). The result is very good.
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My own daughter was bitten by a homeless man. She developed a coin-sized lesion with a nasty line around it. A doctor told her, “I’m sorry honey, but half your palm will fall off and there’s nothing I can do about it.” That same day, she drove home from college to see her herbalist dad. I developed a formula (see below), used it as a salve, and poked it into her mouth every 2 hours throughout the day. Within 12 hours, the pesky ring was gone. Within 24 hours, we were unable to discern the location of the bite by observation.
I don’t know if echinacea neutralizes the venom like a snake bite, or if the increased hyaluronic acid production helps. May be it is another mechanism entirely. What I know from clinical experience is that it works well.
So for chronic injuries, torn ligaments, sprains, tears, and arthritis, add a little echinacea to the mix. You can also eat some echinacea if you are bitten by a venomous snake or stray spider.
My Snake and Spider Bites Recipe
I mix them in equal amounts. I make a plaster and apply them topically by mixing them with water. I change it every few hours. I also take the formula by mouth at a rate of about 1 tablespoon every 2 hours for adults. Dogs get a teaspoon.
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Also keep in mind that echinacea is a mild herb. Take it regularly…every 2 hours or so for acute illnesses and 3 times a day for chronic injuries.
Substitutes for Echinacea
goldenrod (Black-Eyed Susan)
If you don’t have access to echinacea and live in the western United States, goldenrod (Susan with black eyes) and goldenrod (Yellow echinacea) is a close relative with similar medicinal properties. They also grow wild throughout the West and other parts of the country.
goldenrod (Cut-leaf coneflower)
What do you think?
Of the many benefits of echinacea, which one is your favorite? How do you use it in your own herbal medicine? Let us know in the comments below!
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This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 3, 2016. Authors may not be able to respond to comments at this time, but we encourage our community members to get involved, share their experiences and answer questions!
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Dr. Patrick Jones is a practicing veterinarian. He owns and operates the Fairview Animal Hospital in Bull, Idaho.He teaches herbal skills online homegrownherbalist.net.
