Echinacea mother tincture: properties and uses

The mother tincture of echinacea is useful for preventing flu and viral infections, thanks to its immuostimulant and antiviral properties: it helps to strengthen the immune system and it provides a protective, lenitive and healing action. Here are its properties and how to use it.

The mother tincture of echinacea is an herbal extract obtained by maceration of the echinacea plant, prepared from two species in particular: Echinacea angustifolia or Echinacea purpurea, rich in essential oils and flavonoids useful for the prevention and treatment of viral infections and flu states. In fact, these plants help to fight infections by speeding up healing, thanks to the immunostimulant, antibacterial, protective and anti-inflammatory properties that strengthen the immune system. Here are the properties of the echinacea mother tincture, how to take it, and the doses.

Beneficial properties of the echinacea mother tincture

The mother tincture of echinacea is used above all for its protective properties: it helps to prevent flu and infections and speeds up healing. Polysaccharides, flavonoids, caffeic acid derivatives and essential oils contained in both Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea give these plants anti-viral properties, hindering the penetration of viruses into healthy cells; and also immunostimulants properties, as they strengthen the immune system: for this reason the mother tincture of echinacea is used in phytotherapy in the periods when there is a risk of seasonal illnesses and flu, to increase the immune defenses and to treat the typical symptoms of diseases like coughs, colds, sore throat, fever. Echinacea mother tincture has also healing properties: promoting a quick repair of the skin in case of small scars and burns, canker sores, herpes, sores and dermatitis, accelerating tissue regeneration. The echinacoside provides also an antibiotic action that inhibits the proliferation of bacteria, even in cases of urinary tract infections, especially cystitis and prostatitis.

Echinacea mother tincture: how to use it and recommended doses

The mother tincture of echinacea is usually used, in prolonged periods, for no more than eight consecutive weeks, interrupted by a week of stop, although it would be advisable to use it no more than 2-3 consecutive weeks: this is due to the presence of alkaloids pyrrolizidine, which could cause hepatotoxicity. Before starting to use the mother tincture of echinacea, you should first seek the advice of a doctor experienced in phytotherapy or a naturopath who can provide precise information on timing and methods of administration. Let's see what are the general rules for taking the mother tincture of Echinacea both for internal and external use.

For internal use the mother tincture of echinacea is used to increase the body's natural immune defenses, to alleviate physical and mental stress, the symptoms of cooling diseases, joint pains and infections of the uro-genital system. The general indications to prevent flu symptoms range from 30 to 40 drops, to be administered in little water 3 times a day away from meals. In case of infections the dosage varies from 30 to 40 drops 2 times a day, or as advised by the specialist.

For external use, instead, the mother tincture of echinacea is used for the preparation of lotions or ointments for skin care. It is in fact useful to promote the cicatrization of the skin in case of scars, canker sores, herpes, ulcers and dermatitis. In herbal medicine shops, you can buy ointments with 10% of echinacea mother tincture: alternatively, it is also possible to make compresses by applying a few drops of mother tincture to sterile gauze. In case of a sore throat and inflammation of the oropharyngeal cavity, it is possible to make some rinses: it will be enough to dilute 10 drops of mother tincture of echinacea in half a glass of water, morning and evening.