5 Benefits of Echinacea, from Treating Colds to Lowering Blood Sugar
Echinacea or coneflower is one type of
flower from the daisy family widely grown in America and Canada.
Of the various
species of echinacea, 2 types of echinacea are often used for treatment,
namely Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea Angustifolia. Both kinds of
echinacea are very rich in bioactive compounds that are antioxidants and
anti-inflammatory.
Benefits of Echinacea for Health
Thanks to the
content, there are various benefits of echinacea that we can get, including:
1. Warding off free radicals
Echinacea has robust antioxidant activity thanks to
the content of various bioactive compounds in it. The body needs these
antioxidants to ward off inflammation and the effects of free radicals that
risk damaging the body's cells and triggering various health problems, ranging
from canker sores to cancer.
2. Treating colds and flu
Echinacea has long been known as a plant that can
prevent and speed up the healing of colds and flu. This is because echinacea can strengthen the body's endurance to
fight diseases caused by viral infections, such as colds and flu.
3. Overcoming skin problems
Although it has
not been proven in human skin, experts found that echinacea has good anti-inflammatory and antibacterial
properties in suppressing the growth of Propionibacterium acnes, which
is an acne-triggering bacterium,
Not only that,
skincare cream products that contain echinacea are also known to
increase skin moisture, reduce wrinkles, and overcome eczema symptoms.
4. Reduce anxiety
Several studies
show that echinacea also has the potential to reduce stress. This can
happen because echinacea plants, especially Echinacea Angustifolia, contain
various compounds that are thought to reduce feelings of anxiety, such as
alkamides, rosmarinic acid, and kafeic acid.
5. Controlling blood sugar levels
In one study,
Echinacea purpurea extract was shown to suppress enzymes that digest
carbohydrates into sugars. With this ability, echinacea is thought to reduce the
absorption of sugar in the intestines to reduce blood sugar.
Not only that, other
studies found that echinacea extract can also increase the work of insulin in the body's cells so that the sugar in
the blood can be controlled optimally.
In addition to
those mentioned above, there are still several benefits of echinacea for
health, ranging from treating ear infections(otitis media), tonsillitis (tonsillitis), inflammation of the middle layer of the eye(uveitis) to helping prevent the spread of cancer cells.
However, some of
these benefits still need to be proven by reliable research and clinical trials.
In addition, some people may be able to experience side effects of
echinacea, ranging from fever, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness,
headaches to
rashes and hives on the skin.
Therefore,
consult a doctor first if you want to use echinacea as a medicine. It is
imperative to know the effectiveness and safety of echinacea against the
condition you are experiencing.
Source:
https://www.alodokter.com/5-benefits-echinacea-dari-mengobati-cold-to-lowering-blood
sugar
