EchinaceaBefore you start on Echinacea,
Echinacea is one of the most popular herbs in common use today. It gets its name from the spiny quills in the center of its flower which seem to remind people of a spiny hedgehog. The word for hedgehog in Greek is "echinos". Thus the name. It's a wild herb that grows mostly in the Eastern and Great Plains regions of North America as well as in Europe. Decades of research have proven its value for helping strengthen the immune system, Schechter explains. Studies have determined the herb's ability to activate white blood cells and stimulate their regeneration. Its infection-fighting properties stem from its ability to neutralize a harmful enzyme involved in the infection process. It also increases two vital components of the immune system that consume and eliminate invading organisms and foreign particles. 
German studies have shown echinacea extract contains proteins that help protect uninfected cells against viral infections, one reason why it is regarded as an influenza preventer. Another German study found it effective in allergy treatment because it helps prevent tissue inflammation due to harmful foreign toxins. It's commonly used today to reduce the length of time you might suffer from a cold or the flu. It helps alleviate their common symptoms such as a sore throat, fever and cough. Many herbalists recommend taking it on a regular basis to help strengthen the immune system. But, generally speaking, people don't really think about taking it until something actually goes wrong. And the irony of that is that if they had been taking it all along, whatever went wrong - cold or flu, for example - probably wouldn't have happened to begin with. Science Daily reports that taking it on a regular basis cuts the chances of catching a cold by 58% and shortens the duration of the cold, if you do catch it, by 1.4 days. I'd say that's a pretty good reason to add it to your daily herbal regimen. You wouldn't do that, of course, without first checking with your physician. This herb is considered quite safe even at high doses. One possible side effect might occur if you have hay fever or a seasonal allergy to ragweed. If this is the case, you might experience a runny nose or itchy eyes when using echinacea. The herb is fun to grow. It's a shade lover with long, floppy leaves and pretty flowers. But watch out for their spiny centers. They are sharp. Unless you have a farm, you probably can't grow enough to make your own herbal supplement so, even if you do grow a few plants, you'll probably still want to purchase some at your local health food store.
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