Echinacea has been touted throughout history as an aid to the immune system during cold and flu season. Now with the globe experiencing a pandemic, it may help support the immune system and reduce the chances of catching a cold.
Researchers are the University of Connecticut found that taking echinacea BEFORE a person gets sick cuts the chances of catching a cold by 58%, and if you do get sick, echinacea can reduce the average duration of sickness by almost a day and a half.
Echinacea, also known as the coneflower, is not only great tasting in teas, it is a pretty easy medicinal herb to grow in your own home and comes packed full of beneficial substances to help the body. It is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family known as Asteraceae.
Echinacea is one of the most popular garden ornamentals with its showy purple flowers that attract all kinds of butterflies and bees.
In fact, the entire plant from the roots, seeds, and fresh flowers are all medicinal and can be made into a flavorful immune-stimulating tea or tincture. –Ready Nutrition
There are other reasons why echinacea is a wonderful medicinal herb! Read more about it here:
Echinacea tinctures are an incredible way to get the benefits of this herb too. You can also purchase some dried echinacea herb by clicking here. We always suggest organic if you can afford it and some of the reasons are outlined here.
HOW TO MAKE AN ECHINACEA TINCTURE
The most simple way to make an echinacea tincture is to use the folk herbalist method. You can do this by starting with a clean mason jar. Fill the jar about halfway with dried echinacea. If you have fresh plant material, fill the jar 2/3 of the way full. (This is when it comes in handy to have some echinacea growing in your yard!)
Once you’ve added the herb to a mason jar, simply cover it with alcohol. Add a neutral spirit with around 40% alcohol (80 proof). Vodka or brandy is a good choice, but really any alcohol will work. Fill the jar to within a half-inch of the top of the jar, making sure that you completely submerge all the herbal material. Put a lid on the jar and give it a quick shake. Store the jar in a cool dark place for at least a month, shaking anytime you remember.
After 1 to 3 months of infusing the echinacea, it’s time to filter the echinacea tincture. Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to filter the herbal material from the alcohol. You should be left with a dark amber-colored liquid with a strong earthy smell. This liquid is your medicinal tincture!
Dosage Information
Most herbalists recommend taking a dropper full, which is 25 to 30 drops of a tincture, three times per day. When sick or experiencing acute symptoms, the full dosage can be administered every 1 to 2 hours. For adults and older children, herbalists tend to suggest an echinacea tincture dosage as follows:
50 to 100 pounds: 2 droppers full
100 to 150 pounds: 3 droppers full
150 to 200 pounds: 4 droppers full
200 to 250 pounds: 5 droppers full
Because tinctures can be bitter tasting, follow some of these ideas to help the natural medicine go down.
If you choose to not make your own tincture, you could always purchase one. Again, we will always suggest organic products, especially if you are going to ingest them.
*This article is intended for informational purposes only. It is not meant to treat, cure, or diagnose any health or medical condition or ailment. Please call a medical professional to know what’s right for you.
This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on March 21st, 2020
