|
Author: Heather Mason
The origin of many medicinal herbs lies in Native American
culture. The Echinacea plant, used by Natives as a cure-all
long before the European settlers arrived in North America,
is making its mark on modern day Western herbal medicine.
Natives used Echinacea as an antiseptic for wounds and snake
bites, and as an antibiotic for colds and flu. Today this
member of the daisy family is used to treat everything from
chronic skin ailments to cancer. Recent research indicates
that a key benefit of Echinacea is its ability to stimulate
the immune system. When ingested in combination with the
immune system stabilizer black seed, Echinacea provides
consistent health benefits. And, with cold and flu season
just around the bend, that’s just the help you need.
Echinacea’s journey through history into present day
medicine began with the earliest North American settlers who
adopted it as a valuable remedy on the frontier. In 1885 a
German doctor in the United States used the herb to
formulate and patent “Meyer’s Blood Purifier.” Before long,
Echinacea gained popularity throughout Europe. Three decades
of research followed which supported Echinacea as a safe and
effective treatment for the immune system. In particular,
Echinacea has been found to increase healthy white blood
cells which act as the body’s main line of defence against
infection and disease. In addition, a healthy immune system
is key to fighting off viruses like influenza and herpes.
Advantages aside, people with depleted or advanced immune
system deficiencies may not respond to treatment with the
herb and some doctors don’t recommend that their patients
take Echinacea continuously for more than 10 days without a
four day break in-between. How, then, can be benefits of
Echinacea be maximized? Enter black seed.
This 2,000 year old Middle Eastern remedy has been proven to
help balance and stabilize the immune system. It is a
vitamin and nutrient-rich herb which has been used since the
13th century for arthritis, kidney and liver ailments,
bronchial infections and intestinal complaints. Black seed
equalizes the effects of Echinacea on the immune system,
allowing for its continuous use with top results. Indigenous
North Americans know that the best cures come from the land.
Contemporary Western cultures have begun to follow the same
axiom, and with good reason. Resisting modern diseases
requires a strong immune system, something Echinacea and
black seed can help to provide. Echinacea and black seed are
convenient to take in capsule form and can be found in
health food stores.
Reprinted from alive magazine. |
Black
Seed & 
