ECHINACEA

This week’s herb is a new favourite of mine that I’ve found to be really efficient in helping to beat the sniffles. Echinacea can be brought from the health food store, in flower and leaf form for tea, or in a range of tablets and creams and so on to look after your immune system in this cold Melbourne winter…

Here’s a few reasons why I think you should start sipping Echinacea tea:

• Successfully treat an upper respiratory infection
• Can neutralise the effects of the common cold virus
• Decrease your susceptibility to catching a common cold
• Can stimulate your immune system
• Can also reduce the effects of heat and inflammation

Plus, it’s a subtle and lovely flavour that you’ll enjoy!

Happy Sipping!

xx

 

REFERENCES

Shah, SA, Sander, S, White, CM, Rinaldi, M & Coleman, CI 2007, ‘Evaluation of Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis’, The Lancet: Infectious Diseases, vol. 7, no. 7, pp. 473-480, viewed 1/7/16 <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(07)70160-3/abstract>

Altamirano-Dimas, M, Hudson, JB, Cochrane, D, Nelson, C & Arnason, JT 2007, ‘Modulation of immune response gene expression by echinacea extracts: results of a gene array analysis’, Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology’ vol 85, no. 11, pp. 1091-98, viewed 1/7/16 <http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/Y07-110#.V3W6Nbh97IU>

Islam J & Carter, R 2005, ‘Use of Echinacea in upper respiratory tract infection’, Southern Medical Journal, pp 311, viewed 1/7/16 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA131228423&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=fulltext&issn=00384348&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1&isAnonymousEntry=true>