My family got together this weekend and one of my sisters had a cold, which reminded me that the cooler weather and cold and flu season is upon us. It is time to stock up on echinacea.
Echinacea has antibiotic and antiviral properties it a great treatment for colds and flu, sore throat, and other simple infections. For best results take echinacea when symptoms begin and continue until the illness runs its course, but not for greater than 10 days.
If you have an autoimmune disease use it cautiously and for the shortest period possible.
You can get echinacea in tincture, capsule, tablet and extract forms. You want to get it in a combination containing both augustifolia and purpurea standardized to 4 percent echinacosides. The recommended dose it 1 dropperful of tincture in water 4 times a day, or 2 capsules of freeze-dried extract 4 times a day. Children can take it also, under 10 take half the adult dosage.