25 Mar Boost your immune system with echinacea tablets
Echinacea is a herbaceous perennial plant and, like daisies and sunflowers, it’s a member of the Asteraceae family. Today, extract from the plant is found in herbal medicine echinacea tablets, which are popular to help fight colds and flu.
It has a prickly exterior with striking pink and purple flowers and a distinctive cone-shaped seed head in the centre of the flower.
A hardy and tolerant plant, echinacea can survive droughts, but it will not thrive in overly wet and muddy soil. It’s found in woodland areas and prairies in Eastern and North America, perfectly suited to the regions’ warm to hot climates.
On average the plants grow to around 1-2 feet, but they can grow as tall as 4 feet – the average height of a 10 year-old child!
What is Echinacea used for?
Echinacea has been traditionally used for centuries to help boost the immune system.
The immune system is our defence system against bacterial and viral infections. Its complex structure of cells, tissues and proteins throughout the entire body and is critical in protecting us against anything, from minor but annoying problems such as colds, through to fighting serious diseases and illnesses.
When your immune system encounters foreign bacteria or a virus, it responds by destroying the antigens of the invading bodies.
The antigens detected by the immune system are proteins found in all cells and substances. The immune system ignores its own antigens and attacks only foreign antigens.
A strong immune system is essential for keeping your body healthy. You can boost your immune system naturally with these six simple steps:
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- Eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables
- Exercise regularly – do something you really enjoy and reap the physical and psychological benefits
- Get enough sleep
- Manage your stress levels
- If you drink alcohol, keep it in moderation
- Try immune-boosting echinacea tablets – but make sure you choose ones that carry the Traditional Herbal Registration symbol, which shows that they have been tested for quality and safety.
How could Echinacea tablets help you?
Used in combination with a healthy diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep, echinacea tablets could help boost your immune system and keep you in tip-top health.
There are ten types of Echinacea, but only three are used as herbal remedies.
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- Echinacea angustifolia
- Echinacea pallida
- Echinacea purpurea
Today, the most popular variety, Echinacea purpurea, is used across the globe to help health conditions, from colds and flu to dizziness and chronic fatigue. The easiest way to take it is in Echinacea tablets such as HRI Cold and Flu Echinacea.
How does it work?
Echinacea contains plant compounds called phenols which are packed with antioxidants. They’re believed to help protect your body against developing the physiological state that is linked to the development of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Alkamides found in echinacea are also popularly thought to have an effect on the immune system and boost the activity of antioxidants found in food and echinacea itself.
Research has shown that echinacea could have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which are believed to help boost the immune system.
What’s the recommended dosage of Echinacea?
HRI Cold & Flu Echinacea tablets contain 56mg of extract from the root of Echinacea purpurea plant which is equivalent to 338-450mg of Echinacea per tablet. We recommend taking 1-2 tablets per day to help boost your immune system.
HRI Cold and Flu, like all HRI herbal medicines, carries the THR (Traditional Herbal Registration) symbol to guarantee the highest standards of quality and safety in Europe, as approved by the government regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
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