The Consumer Guide to Echinacea/Goldenseal Combo
Consumer Guide To Echinacea-Goldenseal CombinationsIn this guide...
Traditional Uses
Modern Perspective
Do Scientists Know How They Work?
Recent Findings
Safety
Types Of Products
Echinacea References
Goldenseal References
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Echinacea is a versatile and popular herb derived from the purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia, E. purpurea, E. pallida), a plant native to North America. The healing compounds are found in both the root and the aboveground parts of the herb.
Goldenseal is the dried, yellow rhizome and rootlets of a small woodland-floor plant (Hydrastis canadensis) native to eastern North America. The herb’s growing popularity has made it increasingly rare in the wild, leading a number of states to list the plant as "endangered."
Traditional uses:
- Echinacea (pronounced eck-in-ay-shuh) was a favorite herb of various Native American tribes, who used it to treat snakebites, insect bites, and wounds. Its use in strongly alcoholic "cure-all" patent medicines of the late 1800’s may have given rise to the term snake oil. If so, echinacea received a bum rap, as extensive lab research has given the herb’s alleged immune-boosting effects solid scientific backing.
- Goldenseal root was used by Native American tribes for health conditions ranging from topical inflammations, debility, cancer, and dyspepsia to whooping cough, pneumonia, diarrhea, fever and sour stomach. European settlers of the 18th century used a goldenseal root wash for eye inflammations. Folk uses expanded during the 19th and 20th centuries, to include canker sores, sore gums or throat, skin sores, cancers, bleeding, menstrual complaints, ulcers, gastritis, colitis, constipation, ringworm, acne, genitourinary infections, thrush, and snake bite. Goldenseal root was listed periodically in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1830 to 1926, and in the National Formulary from 1888 to 1955.
Modern perspective: The immunostimulating effects of echinacea were first reported in 1914. By the 1930’s German researchers had initiated studies (400-plus to date) exploring echinacea’s immune effects. These include some clinical work, but primarily research in animals and test tube cell cultures.
Echinacea has become a best-selling herb because of its well-documented ability to boost immunity and its strong anecdotal reputation—backed by limited clinical evidence—to short-circuit colds and the flu. Echinacea may also help fight bacterial and viral infections in the ears, vagina, urinary tract, and other sites, lower fever, and calm allergic reactions. It is a popular herb for combating coughs and sore throats. Echinacea is also applied externally to cuts, abrasions, bites, and stings to help promote healing, regenerate healthy cells, reduce inflammation, and maintain the structure of connective tissue.
Goldenseal is taken orally to alleviate colds and fevers, stop recurrent ear infections, and stimulate the immune system. Its ability to counter microbes and parasites makes it useful in conditions such as vaginitis and urinary tract infections, and digestive ailments such as infectious diarrhea.
Herbalists often recommend it topically for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic actions, which make it useful to clean wounds, reduce hemorrhoids, soothe canker sores, and alleviate skin infections (including ringworm and athlete’s foot). It may also help treat eye infections such as conjunctivitis and blepharitis.
Do scientists know how they work? There are no good clinical studies on the effects of echinacea and goldenseal used in combination. The pairing of the two appears logical, based on traditional uses and modern knowledge of their drug effects. Each herb’s properties would seem to overlap and complement one another, especially with regard to infectious respiratory conditions.
- Echinacea research has identified polysaccharides such as inulin, and other compounds known to activate white blood cells and boost the immune system (e.g., fucogalactoxyloglucans, isobutylamides of polyenyne, polyine, and polyene acids; phenols, derivatives of caffeic acid (e.g., echinacoside, which possesses bacterio- and fungistatic properties). Echinacea increases levels of the antiviral substances interferon and properdin, and prompts the thymus, bone marrow, and spleen to develop more of their various immune cells.
- Goldenseal's major healing compounds are thought to be alkaloid compounds called hydrastine and berberine. The latter has been more widely researched; studies have shown that it can kill microbes, reduce inflammation, and possibly stimulate immunity.
- A study by Italian scientists found that echinacea has a number of polyphenol antioxidant compounds. A review of five healthy- volunteer studies on the immune-boosting effects of echinacea suggested that the herb enhances the activity of immune cells known as phagocytes. A recent study found that extracts of Echinacea purpurea enhance cellular immune function among both healthy subjects and those with chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
- Studies have recently explored the mechanisms by which berberine inhibits certain human cancer cells and reduces inflammation, and found that berberine is more effective in clearing a malaria-related parasite than tetracycline.
- Echinacea is not known to cause any side effects when taken orally. Allergic reactions are rare but you may want to take only a small dose at first if you’re allergic to other plants in the large composite family. As a general immune stimulant, also, some herbalists recommend cycling off of echinacea after six or eight weeks of continuous use to avoid diminishing effects. If you have an autoimmune illness, such as lupus, or other progressive disease such as multiple sclerosis, consult with a physician before taking echinacea. There are no known contraindications to the use of echinacea during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Goldenseal is generally safe when taken as directed. It is potent enough, however, that it shouldn’t be taken in large amounts (which may cause gastrointestinal distress and possible nervous system effects) or over a long term (don’t exceed three weeks of continuous use without a break of at least two weeks). Goldenseall is not recommended for women who are pregnant or lactating.
Echinacea References
- Facino, R.M., et al., "Echinacoside and caffeoyl conjugates protect collagen from free radical-induced degradation: A potential use of echinacea extracts in the prevention of skin photodamage," Planta Medica 1995, 61:510–14.
- Melchart, D., et al., "Results of five randomized studies on the immunomodulatory activity of preparations of Echinacea," J Altern Complement Med (1995), 1(2):145-60.
- See, D.M., et al., "In vitro effects of echinacea and ginseng on natural killer and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in healthy subjects and chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients," Immunopharmacology (1997), 35(3):229-35.
- Wu, S.N., et al., "Inhibitory effects of berberine on voltage- and calcium-activated potassium currents in human myeloma cells," Life Sci (1998), 62(25):2283-94.
- Ckless, K., et al., "Inhibition of in-vitro lymphocyte transformation by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine," J Pharm Pharmacol (1995), 47(12A):1029-31.
- Sheng, W.D., et al., "Treatment of chloroquine-resistant malaria using pyrimethamine in combination with berberine, tetracycline or cotrimoxazole," East Afr Med J (1997), 74(5):283-4.
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