Question: My husband and I have been taking echinacea for about three months.
We take one capsule (400 mg) every day. I have found out that this should only
be taken when one is feeling ill. Since you have a background in herbs, could
you tell me what is fact and what is fiction? We are undecided on when to take
it now and would like a straight answer. Also, if you could recommend a book
for us to purchase that might make it helpful in determining what amounts to
take of the vitamins, mineral, and natural herbs I would appreciate it. I am
54 and my husband is 60.
Answer: To prevent your body from building up a tolerance to the immune
stimulating effects of echinacea, most authorities discourage its daily use. I
suggest you use it at the first sign of a cold or flu bug to help rally your
immune system. You may also want to consider taking 500 mg of vitamin C each
waking hour to block the ability of the virus to reproduce. This works
extremely well for me. The Healing Power of Herbs by M. Murray does a great
job of reviewing the studies on echinacea. It is widely available in
bookstores.
-- Dr. James Meschino