Before the discovery of antibiotics, the medicinal herb echinacea was used to treat many ailments, from scarlet fever to diphtheria. Today, it’s classified as a supplement—not a medicine—meaning it’s used to enhance your diet, not to treat disease. However, it still appears that there are many benefits of echinacea for your health. In particular, it is often used to prevent colds and other respiratory diseases by strengthening the immune system.

There are a few things to consider before trying echinacea for yourself. “Although it is generally considered safe, echinacea can cause mild side effects such as gastrointestinal upset or skin irritation. People who are allergic to ragweed or similar plants should be careful, ” advised. Chris MohrPhD, RD, fitness and nutrition consultant Fortune Recommends Health.

He says it’s important to consult a health care provider before starting echinacea, especially for those with autoimmune conditions or chronic diseases. “It is also important to consider the quality of the food supplement and look for products with third-party certification to ensure that the ingredients and quality meet the letter and science,” he adds.

But if you’re curious about how echinacea supplementation can benefit you, read on to learn six things that can help.

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Many people use echinacea for its potential anti-inflammatory effects.

“Although research is still ongoing, echinacea’s ability to reduce inflammation in the body is remarkable. It can help with mild irritation of the skin or throat by calming the body’s inflammatory response,” says explain. Raj DasguptaMD, NCOA medical examiner and ABIM Quadruple board certified physician specializing in internal medicine, pulmonology, critical care, and sleep medicine.

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Sometimes, doctors also recommend trying echinacea when the patient has slow healing wounds.

A 2023 survey published in the journal Molecules showed that when used topically (in addition to the pill form, it also comes in liquid form), echinacea can produce antibacterial and aseptic effects, which help wounds to heal quickly by preventing infection.

“It works by stimulating the immune system to send healing cells to the injured area,” says Dasgupta. “However, more research is needed, and it should not replace proper medical care for wounds.”

Some of the same properties that reduce inflammation and prevent infection can also have a dermatological effect.

“Echinacea purpurea has many beneficial properties for protecting the skin from oxidative stress and improving skin circulation,” said a 2010 study that looked at the skin health benefits of echinacea.

“Studies suggest that it may be useful for chronic conditions such as eczema, although more research is needed,” Dasgupta says.

The most common reason people take echinacea supplements is to boost their immune system, but Dasgupta says more research is needed to determine their effectiveness in doing so.

“Although it is commonly used for colds, the evidence for its effectiveness is mixed. Some studies show a slight reduction in the duration of colds,” he says. The Best of Life.

Likewise, he says that echinacea can help reduce the frequency and severity of upper respiratory infections (ear infections, sinusitis, etc.), but more research is needed to confirm this.

Some research shows that echinacea can also help reduce anxiety. In fact, a 2021 study followed 104 people who took echinacea for six weeks and found that the supplement appeared to have anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

“It has potential anti-inflammatory properties, and chronic inflammation is associated with anxiety. However, research is ongoing, and it is not a first-line treatment. of anxiety,” Mohr says.

There are also preliminary studies that suggest that echinacea may help control blood sugar levels. However, Mohr notes that this is based on animal studies, and the data has not been replicated in humans.

“If data emerges to support animal studies, this could be beneficial for those with prediabetes or who need to control blood sugar as part of a larger health plan,” Mohr says. “However, it is important to understand that echinacea does not replace medication, or any other lifestyle plan, prescribed or recommended by your doctor.”