June 17, 1998 – A review of published and unpublished studies on the sap ofEchinacea purpurea concludes that oral ingestion of this plant is well tolerated in the long term.
The author of the article took into account all research that mentioned the presence or absence of negative effects relating to extracts of the plant or its active constituents. Some of the studies analyzed included taking Echinacin® orally for 12 weeks. None of the articles reviewed raised concerns about the safety of the plant and the author mentions that “the only negative reaction is to the taste of the plant.”
This study by MJ Parnham confirms the safety of echinacea, both orally and by injection, for both adults and children. The rare side effects of injection therapy, including tremors, headaches, nausea, and fevers, do not occur when echinacea is taken orally.
The immunostimulatory effects ofEchinacea purpurea remain to be further evaluated, but a trend of improvement has been observed in individuals with slightly or moderately weakened immune systems. In healthy subjects, in this case marathon runners, very little or no improvement in immune system status was observed.
Some of the studies analyzed showed improved health in people using Echinacea, including the incidence and duration of colds. For example, an eight-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 109 people showed a decrease in the incidence of colds, with the placebo group having twice as many colds as the group taking echinacea.
Although these are controversial views, some sources caution against usingEchinacea purpurea in the case of autoimmune diseases such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. This contraindication is based on the idea that it does not seem appropriate to further stimulate an immune system which is already overstimulated. However, there is no controlled study confirming the negative effects of echinacea in this type of disease.
Parnham MJ 1996, Benefit-risk assessment of the squeezed sap of the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) for long-term oral immunostimulation. Phytomedicine, Vol. 3, No. 1, 95-102
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According to Herbal Gram, no 42, spring 1998
