Echinacea syrup is an herbal medicine. Specifically, it is made using parts of the echinacea plant and is sometimes combined with other ingredients, such as peppermint oil. Echiniacea syrup is commonly used to treat cold and flu symptoms, as well as upper respiratory infections. Wound healing is one of the other uses of echinacea and it also has a history of being used to treat inflammation.
Many people use echinacea syrup to avoid contracting the cold or the flu. It is also considered to be an effective remedy to treat symptoms of respiratory infections. Echinacea syrup may be homemade or may be purchased wherever natural health products are sold.
Other benefits of echinacea include the strengthening of the immune system, in general, as well as helping to heal wounds and reduce inflammation. Native American tribes have also used it in the past to treat diseases such as small pox and the mumps. Early American settlers used it to help purify the blood.
Researchers who study the safety of echinacea and other herbs have found it to be safe for use by adults and children. Echinacea dosage suggestions often vary, however, according to a person’s weight and age. While considered to be safe for most people, experts advise pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and people suffering from autoimmune diseases to avoid taking echinacea syrup.
Several clinical trials denounce the effectiveness of echinacea in curing cold and flu symptoms. Research does indicate, however, that echinacea may be useful in lessening the strength and severity of symptoms once they are present. Still, echinacea has been used to treat cold, flu and upper respiratory infections for centuries and remains a favored herb among natural health practitioners.
The root and the flowering portions of the echinacea plant are the parts mostly considered to be useful in helping to boost the body's natural immunity against colds and respiratory attacks. Echinacea root is often used to create herbal concoctions and the leaves and flowers of the plant are also frequently used in creating echinacea products that are sold over the counter, such as tinctures. In addition to echinacea syrup, people hoping to access the healing properties of this herb often drink echincacea tea, as well as take echinacea supplements in the form of powders and capsules.
Whether homemade or store-bought, echinacea syrup may be prepared with other herbs, minerals and oils to increase the syrup’s potential healing properties, as well as to create a more palatable taste and pleasant smell. Among the herbs and minerals often included in such a formula are zinc and ginseng. Some formulas also include peppermint oil to affect the taste and odor of a syrup, while accessing the health benefits of peppermint, which also has antiviral properties.