Boosting
Immunity With Herbs
by Rob McCaleb, HRF President
For over 4,000 years, the Chinese have used certain herbs
to prevent common diseases. The ancient Chinese knew nothing
of bacteria or viruses, yet some of these herbs were said
to "strengthen the exterior", or the "shield".
Modern scientific research is confirming that they were
right. Thousands of years later, and sixty years after the
discovery of penicillin, the study of herbs affecting the
immune system is one of the hottest topics in pharmacological
research. Can herbs really strengthen our resistance and
help us lead healthier lives? Both the wisdom of centuries
of observation, and the scrutiny of the scientific laboratory,
support the view that they can.
HOW THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WORKS
Our immune system recognizes and destroys anything foreign
to the body, including cells like bacteria and other microbes,
and foreign particles including toxic compounds. This recognition
and destruction is performed by cells in the circulatory
and the lymphatic systems. These cells are produced in the
bone marrow and lymphatic tissue (thymus, lymph nodes, spleen
and tonsils) respectively. The cells begin their lives as
"stem cells". These cells are so featureless that
there is no way to determine what type of blood cell they
will ultimately become. They may develop into any of a number
of different kind of cells, for instance: red blood cells,
various types of white blood cells, etc. These cells are
then released into the blood stream and are carried to all
parts of the body. There are essentially two types of cells,
one of which is called "memory cells". Memory
cells, as the name implies, remember specific foreign cells
or chemicals to which they have been exposed, and react
immediately when they are next exposed to those compounds.
Drugs which effect the memory cells stimulate immunity only
to one disease or antigen. Vaccines are an example of drugs
which effect memory cells.
Most herbs for the immune system don't affect memory cells,
but are general immune system stimulators (immunostimulants).
They increase the activity of the immune system but are
not specific to a particular disease or "antigen"
(a protein against which immune cells act). Rather, they
increase resistance by mobilizing "effector cells"
which act against all foreign particles, rather than just
one specific type (i.e. a measles virus).
Remarkably, since the discovery of penicillin, our scientists,
in search of drugs against infectious disease, have looked
only for chemicals which kill bacteria or viruses. Finally,
they are coming to realize that it is possible to boost
the immune system, which can then fight naturally against
infectious agents, without the drawbacks of antibiotic therapy.
While immune stimulants cannot replace antibiotics in some
cases, they have proven far superior in others.
ECHINACEA
Echinacea is a very popular American wildflower and garden
plant, the purple coneflower. It's also one of America's
most popular herbal products, also used to prevent and treat
the common cold, influenza and infections. Echinacea is
the best known and one of the most researched of immunostimulants.
Echinacea was among the most popular herbs used by Native
American Indians. At least 14 tribes used Echinacea for
a coughs, colds, sore throats, infections, toothaches, inflammations,
tonsillitis, and snake bites, among other uses. It was used
by the Dakotas as a veterinary medicine for their horses.
By the early Twentieth century, echinacea had become the
best selling medicinal tincture in America, used for a variety
of internal and external conditions. But by 1910 it had
been dismissed as worthless by the AMA, although it continued
to be used. Echinacea fell into disuse in this country in
the 1930's. However, Europeans began growing and using echinacea,
especially the Germans, and to this day have produced the
best scientific documentation of its value. The extract's
popularity in the U.S. grew rapidly during the 1980s, and
the plant is now again among America's best-selling herb
extracts.
The most common anecdotal reports about the use of ecinacea
are from people who begin taking the extract at the first
sign of a cold. Often to their surprise, they find the cold
has disappeared, usually within twenty-four hours, and sometimes
after taking the extract only once. Anecdotal evidence carries
little weight in scientific circles, but plant drug researchers
have conducted over 350 scientific studies about echinacea.
Here's what some of those studies say about echinacea:
The most consistently proven effect of echinacea is in
stimulating phagocytosis, or the consumption of invading
organisms by white blood cells and lymphocytes. To prove
this, scientists incubate human white blood cells, yeast
cells and echinacea extract. They examine the blood cells
microscopically and a count the numbers of yeast cells gobbled
up by the blood cells. Extracts of echinacea can increase
phagocytosis by 20-40%. Another test, called "the carbon
clearance" test, measures the speed with which injected
carbon particles are removed from the bloodstream of a mouse.
The quicker the mouse can remove the injected foreign particles,
the more its immune system has been stimulated. In this
test too, echinacea extracts excel, confirming the fact
that this remarkable plant increases the activity of immune
system cells so they can more quickly eliminate invading
organisms and foreign particles.
As with astragalus, echinacea causes an increase in the
number of immune cells, further enhancing the overall activity
of the immune system. Echinacea also stimulates the production
of interferon as well as other important products of the
immune system, including "Tumor Necrosis Factor",
which is important to the body's response against cancer.
Echinacea also inhibits an enzyme (hyaluronidase), which
is secreted by bacteria, and helps them gain access to healthy
cells. Research in the early 1950's showed that echinacea
could completely counteract the effect of this enzyme, and
this could help prevent infection when used to treat wounds.
While echinacea is usually used internally for the treatment
of viruses and bacteria, it is being used more externally
for the treatment of wounds. It also kills yeast and slows
or stops the growth of bacteria, and helps to stimulate
the growth of new tissue. It combats inflammation too, further
supporting its use in the treatment of wounds.
Research in 1957, showed that an extract of echinacea caused
a 22% reduction in inflammation among arthritis sufferers.
That is only about half as effective as steroids, but steroids
have serious side-effects. Steroids also strongly suppress
the immune system, which makes them a poor choice for treating
any condition in which infection is likely. Echinacea, on
the other hand, is non-toxic, and adds immune-stimulating
properties to its anti-inflammatory effect.
Most people use echinacea for warding off colds and influenza.
Extracts, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, are the most
commonly used form, and the usual amount taken is one dropperful
at a time (15-25 drops). This is taken at the first sign
of a cold and repeated two or three times a day. European
clinics do not use continuous doses of echinacea but rather
alternate three days on and three days off. This is because
some testing shows that the immune system in healthy subjects
can only be stimulated briefly before returning to its normal
state. After several days without stimulation, immunostimulants
can again be effective.
Echinacea has an excellent safety record. After hundreds
of years of use, no toxicity or side-effects have been reported
except rare allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
The purple coneflower is a truly American contribution to
world health care through herbs. This safe and effective
immune stimulant was discovered and first used by the Native
Americans and is now a major medicinal plant used throughout
Europe and the U.S.
The Herb Research Foundation (HRF) is dedicated to returning
safe natural remedies to prominence in modern health care.
We conduct, support and encourage research and educational
projects in the areas of health, conservation and international
development.
