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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2002 : Sept02
Coming Soon...
Zapping Colds and Flu With Herbs
Even when you live in Hawai`i, the chance of getting a cold or the flu increases as winter approaches. But there are some effective herbal remedies that are easy to find: Echinacea and Spilanthes are two that can help kick that cold or fight that flu at the first sign of infection. That's important: as soon as you feel a tickle in your throat or experience that first sneeze, you would do well to get yourself some Echinacea or Spilanthes. If you wait until your illness is fully-developed, don't expect a miracle cure.
All About Echinacea
Echinacea (pronounced "eh-kin-AY-sha") is one of the top-selling herbal supplements on the American health scene. It has long been used by Native Americans and Europeans as a booster of the immune system, potent preventer of colds and flu, and fighter of other infections, all in one.
Scientific research on Echinacea has been so conclusive that the Food and Drug Administration has approved an Echinacea extract for over-the-counter sales. And it has become trendy -- Hollywood celebrities like Cher, Jodie Foster, and members of the Star Trek cast have discovered it and reportedly use the herb to ward off illness.
What Makes Echinacea Work?
Echinacea works with the body's own defense mechanisms to help you to fight illnesses. It contains polysaccharides called Echinacins, which bind to cells and prevent germs from invading your body. By protecting cells and preventing their breakdown, it fights the spread of germs and reduces inflammation. Simply put, the immune cells gobble up things that are bad for your body before they can develop and make you sick. The American Botanical Council states that "Echinacea may be of value for any infection, chronic or acute, but especially where there is not long-term immune deficiency or dysfunction." (www.herbalgram.org) So don't expect it to surface as a cure for such serious diseases as AIDS. And when you have a serious illness such as bronchitis or pneumonia, always seek the help of a qualified medical professional.
How to Take Echinacea
Echinacea is available in capsules at all drugstores and natural food stores. Capsules are easy to take, but you must remember to take them regularly. Follow the dosage instructions on the label for best results, and continue taking them until you are fully recovered from your cold or flu. Although you shouldn't take Echinacea all the time as a preventative, you can take it on and off during the winter to keep your immune system strong, especially if you are exposed to others who are sick.
Tinctures are a strong extraction of an herb in alcohol and are very effective. If you buy capsules, the dried herbs in them can be old, which reduces their effectiveness, so I use tinctures. It's easy to make your own tincture, but it takes four weeks for the herbs to be fully extracted. If you start now, you'll have an economical, powerful cold-fighting medicine in time for the worst of the cold and flu season. When you buy dried Echinacea root for homemade remedies at your natural food store, check its freshness by tasting a tiny piece: if it has a tingly, buzzy effect on your tongue and makes you salivate, the herb is potent and has the "kick" needed for an effective treatment. If it doesn't zap your tongue, try the Echinacea at another store.
Spilanthes Works Much Like Echinacea
Another herb, and one that grows easily in Hawaii, is Spilanthes Acmella. I use just the flowers from this little plant in tincture and experimented on myself when I had my last cold: it worked just like my experiences with Echinacea -- it made my cold less severe and I got better within a couple of days. That's what we want when we're sick! Some of the big-name herbalists are praising Spilanthes as "the new Echinacea." However, unless you grow your own or know someone who does, it can be hard to find at the stores.
How to Make Echinacea or Spilanthes Tincture
It's so easy and economical to make tinctures that I encourage everyone to experiment with making their own. Buy good quality dried, ground Echinacea root or use fresh Spilanthes flowers. Place your herbal material in a clean glass quart jar, filling it about 1/3 full. For a simple alcohol-based tincture, fill the jar with 80 proof vodka. For a milder medicine, you can use apple cider vinegar and/or vegetable glycerin. Shake it up and then store it somewhere where you'll remember to shake it every day for four weeks.
After four weeks, strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a stocking and squeeze all of the liquid out of the herbs. Re-bottle the completed tincture into smaller glass containers, close them tightly, label them and write the date on the jars. Tinctures keep indefinitely at room temperature if you keep them in a dark cupboard. Take about 1/2 teaspoon full or 4 FULL droppers 3 times every day until your symptoms have been gone for a few days.
For a fancy tincture with other effective cold and flu fighting ingredients, here's another recipe. For a 1 quart glass jar, use the following amounts:
Fill the jar with brandy or vodka, shake it daily for four weeks, then strain it and store it as for regular tinctures. Use it in the same dosage that you take regular tinctures. It's best to keep this kind of tincture refrigerated.
Zapping Colds and Flu With Herbs
Even when you live in Hawai`i, the chance of getting a cold or the flu increases as winter approaches. But there are some effective herbal remedies that are easy to find: Echinacea and Spilanthes are two that can help kick that cold or fight that flu at the first sign of infection. That's important: as soon as you feel a tickle in your throat or experience that first sneeze, you would do well to get yourself some Echinacea or Spilanthes. If you wait until your illness is fully-developed, don't expect a miracle cure.
All About Echinacea
Echinacea (pronounced "eh-kin-AY-sha") is one of the top-selling herbal supplements on the American health scene. It has long been used by Native Americans and Europeans as a booster of the immune system, potent preventer of colds and flu, and fighter of other infections, all in one.
Scientific research on Echinacea has been so conclusive that the Food and Drug Administration has approved an Echinacea extract for over-the-counter sales. And it has become trendy -- Hollywood celebrities like Cher, Jodie Foster, and members of the Star Trek cast have discovered it and reportedly use the herb to ward off illness.
What Makes Echinacea Work?
Echinacea works with the body's own defense mechanisms to help you to fight illnesses. It contains polysaccharides called Echinacins, which bind to cells and prevent germs from invading your body. By protecting cells and preventing their breakdown, it fights the spread of germs and reduces inflammation. Simply put, the immune cells gobble up things that are bad for your body before they can develop and make you sick. The American Botanical Council states that "Echinacea may be of value for any infection, chronic or acute, but especially where there is not long-term immune deficiency or dysfunction." (www.herbalgram.org) So don't expect it to surface as a cure for such serious diseases as AIDS. And when you have a serious illness such as bronchitis or pneumonia, always seek the help of a qualified medical professional.
How to Take Echinacea
Echinacea is available in capsules at all drugstores and natural food stores. Capsules are easy to take, but you must remember to take them regularly. Follow the dosage instructions on the label for best results, and continue taking them until you are fully recovered from your cold or flu. Although you shouldn't take Echinacea all the time as a preventative, you can take it on and off during the winter to keep your immune system strong, especially if you are exposed to others who are sick.
Tinctures are a strong extraction of an herb in alcohol and are very effective. If you buy capsules, the dried herbs in them can be old, which reduces their effectiveness, so I use tinctures. It's easy to make your own tincture, but it takes four weeks for the herbs to be fully extracted. If you start now, you'll have an economical, powerful cold-fighting medicine in time for the worst of the cold and flu season. When you buy dried Echinacea root for homemade remedies at your natural food store, check its freshness by tasting a tiny piece: if it has a tingly, buzzy effect on your tongue and makes you salivate, the herb is potent and has the "kick" needed for an effective treatment. If it doesn't zap your tongue, try the Echinacea at another store.
Spilanthes Works Much Like Echinacea
Another herb, and one that grows easily in Hawaii, is Spilanthes Acmella. I use just the flowers from this little plant in tincture and experimented on myself when I had my last cold: it worked just like my experiences with Echinacea -- it made my cold less severe and I got better within a couple of days. That's what we want when we're sick! Some of the big-name herbalists are praising Spilanthes as "the new Echinacea." However, unless you grow your own or know someone who does, it can be hard to find at the stores.
How to Make Echinacea or Spilanthes Tincture
It's so easy and economical to make tinctures that I encourage everyone to experiment with making their own. Buy good quality dried, ground Echinacea root or use fresh Spilanthes flowers. Place your herbal material in a clean glass quart jar, filling it about 1/3 full. For a simple alcohol-based tincture, fill the jar with 80 proof vodka. For a milder medicine, you can use apple cider vinegar and/or vegetable glycerin. Shake it up and then store it somewhere where you'll remember to shake it every day for four weeks.
After four weeks, strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a stocking and squeeze all of the liquid out of the herbs. Re-bottle the completed tincture into smaller glass containers, close them tightly, label them and write the date on the jars. Tinctures keep indefinitely at room temperature if you keep them in a dark cupboard. Take about 1/2 teaspoon full or 4 FULL droppers 3 times every day until your symptoms have been gone for a few days.
For a fancy tincture with other effective cold and flu fighting ingredients, here's another recipe. For a 1 quart glass jar, use the following amounts:
• Fill your jar about 1/3 full with ground Echinacea root, Spilanthes flowers, or a
combination of the two for an extra cold-fighting boost.
• Add 2 Tablespoons chopped or grated fresh ginger root.
• 3-4 orange slices, with peel (make sure they haven't been sprayed with
insecticide).
• 2 Tablespoons freshly-chopped or dried peppermint.
combination of the two for an extra cold-fighting boost.
• Add 2 Tablespoons chopped or grated fresh ginger root.
• 3-4 orange slices, with peel (make sure they haven't been sprayed with
insecticide).
• 2 Tablespoons freshly-chopped or dried peppermint.
Fill the jar with brandy or vodka, shake it daily for four weeks, then strain it and store it as for regular tinctures. Use it in the same dosage that you take regular tinctures. It's best to keep this kind of tincture refrigerated.
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