Benefits of Echinacea

There appear to be numerous benefits of echinacea. The supplement is claimed to be useful for treating and sometimes preventing various infections, common cold symptoms, allergies, and gum disease. However, more research is needed to confirm these potential echinacea benefits. Some studies have suggested that short-term use of the herbal supplement is probably safe for children.

Possible Echinacea Benefits

Echinacea is a flowering plant that is also used as an herbal supplement. As with most herbal supplements, people use echinacea for a variety of different conditions. It is sometimes claimed to be beneficial for the following conditions:
 
  • Various infections (for treatment and sometimes prevention), such as:
 
 
It is not clear if echinacea really works for most of these uses (see Does Echinacea Work?).
 

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(Benefits of Echinacea Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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