Echinacea has been used to support the immune health for centuries. But there’s more than one kind of echinacea—and the various compounds that help your body protect itself are found in different parts of the plant. The solution: make an echinacea supplement from the two most efficacious echinacea species: Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia—and use standardized, whole-plant extracts. More Echinacea and immune health studies
The active compounds in echinacea, including echinacosides, alkamides, and phenolic compounds encourage an active, healthy immune response in a variety of ways: pre-clinical studies indicate that echinacea encourages natural killer cell activity.1-4 NK cells are your body’s first, immediate response to previously unknown immune challenges. This makes them an invaluable part of both seasonal and year-round preparedness.
Both species of echinacea (E. purpurea and E. angustifolia) have been shown to also help lessen the duration and severity of immune challenges. Clinical studies also indicate that supplementing with echinacea may give you a better chance of staying healthy all season long, as well.5
Echinacea and promoting a healthy inflammatory response
Cytokines are a family of chemical compounds released by immune cells. Echinacea compounds can help inhibit these cytokines, which supports a healthy immune response.6,7 And the better your immune system is working, the easier it will be to stay healthy. Less
