Plant components that act as antioxidants are abundant in Echinacea plants. Antioxidants are substances that assist your cells to protect themselves against oxidative stress, which has been related to chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and others. Flavonoids, cichoric acid, and rosmarinic acid are examples of antioxidants.

These antioxidants appear to be greater in extracts from the plant's fruit and flowers than in other components such as the leaves and roots. Furthermore, echinacea plants contain alkamides, which might boost antioxidant activity even further. Alkamides can replenish depleted antioxidants and assist antioxidants in reaching molecules prone to oxidative damage.

Echinacea is primarily recognized for its immune-boosting properties. Numerous studies have revealed that this plant may help your immune system resist infections and viruses, allowing you to recover from illness faster. This is one of the reasons why echinacea is frequently used to prevent or treat the common cold.

In fact, a meta-analysis of 14 research indicated that consuming echinacea may reduce the chance of getting a cold by more than 50% and cut the length of a cold by one and a half days. Much research on this area, however, is poorly conceived and provides little meaningful value. This makes it difficult to determine if any advantages of echinacea are due to chance. To summarize, while echinacea may increase immunity, its benefits for the common cold are unknown.

High blood sugar levels might put you at risk for major health concerns. This includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and a variety of other chronic diseases. Echinacea plants have been shown in animal experiments to help reduce blood sugar levels. An Echinacea purpurea extract suppressed enzymes that break down carbs in a test-tube investigation. If ingested, this would lessen the quantity of sugar in your blood.

Other research indicated that echinacea extracts rendered cells more susceptible to the effects of insulin by activating the PPAR-y receptor, which is a popular target of diabetes treatments. This receptor functions by eliminating excess fat from the blood, which is a risk factor for insulin resistance. This facilitates cell responses to insulin and sugar. Human-based research on the impact of echinacea on blood sugar levels is still inadequate.

Anxiety is a widespread issue that affects about one in every five American people. Echinacea plants have recently surfaced as a possible anxiety treatment. According to research, echinacea plants contain chemicals that may alleviate feelings of anxiety. Alkamides, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid are examples of these. Three out of five echinacea samples helped lower anxiety in one mouse research. Furthermore, unlike greater dosages of usual therapies, they did not make the mice less active.

Another research discovered that Echinacea Angustifolia extract significantly lowered anxiety in both rats and humans. However, there is currently just a few research on echinacea and anxiety. More study is needed before recommending echinacea products as a viable cure.

Inflammation is your body's natural defense and healing mechanism. Inflammation can sometimes go out of control and linger longer than required or planned. This may increase your chance of developing chronic illnesses and other health issues. Several studies have demonstrated that echinacea can aid in the reduction of excessive inflammation.

Echinacea components were shown to help lower critical inflammatory indicators and memory loss induced by inflammation in rat research. Another 30-day trial revealed that taking an echinacea extract supplement decreased inflammation, chronic pain, and edema in persons with osteoarthritis. Interestingly, these people did not respond well to traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) but found the echinacea extract supplement to be beneficial.

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation. In vitro research has revealed that echinacea extracts can inhibit cancer cell development and even cause cancer cell death. An extract of Echinacea purpurea and chicoric acid (naturally contained in echinacea plants) was proven in one test-tube investigation to induce cancer cell death. Extracts from echinacea plants (Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea Angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida) destroyed human cancer cells from the pancreas and colon in another test-tube investigation by triggering apoptosis, or regulated cell death.

This effect is thought to be caused by echinacea's immune-boosting characteristics. There was some fear that echinacea would interfere with traditional cancer therapies like doxorubicin, but later research has identified no such connection.

Echinacea plants have been demonstrated in studies to help heal common skin problems. Scientists discovered that echinacea's anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial qualities inhibited the growth of Propionibacterium, a frequent cause of acne, in test-tube research. Skin care products containing echinacea extract were proven to increase skin moisture and minimize wrinkles in another trial of 10 healthy persons aged 25-40.

Similarly, an eczema treatment containing Echinacea purpurea extract was proven to alleviate symptoms and aid in the healing of the skin's thin, protective outer layer. However, it appears that echinacea extract has a short shelf life, making it difficult to include in commercial skin care products.