Health/Nutrition: Herbal Soft Drinks

Q. In the past year or so, the local markets have been selling a brand of soft drink that’s fortified with healing herbs. At first I thought this was great, since one of the brands has echinacea in it and I thought this would be a good way to keep my immune system boosted. But, the other morning, I was watching the Today show and a doctor was saying that echanacia works fine if you take it when you need it, but that it can actually lower your immune response if you take it over long periods of time. Is this true? Should I stop drinking this brand of soda?

A. Many foods and drinks found in natural grocery stores have started including certain herbs in their recipes. For an herbalist such as myself, this is an interesting phenomenon, considering the shunning herbal medicine has received in our country during much of the 20th century. It seems folks are indeed waking up to the nutritional and preventative benefits of many herbs. We have certain authors, speakers, teachers and practitioners to thank, who have become spokespersons for herbal awareness in this country. People such as Dr. James Duke, Christaine Northrup MD, Julian Whitaker MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Dean Ornish MD, Michael Tierra OMD, Roy Upton and Rosemary Gladstar, to name a few, continue to make a huge impact on educating the nation about the traditional use of herbs and a healthy diet. It is only natural that some of the most highly praised herbs would eventually become part of packaged foods in the marketplace.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia, E. purpura, E. pallida) is a beautiful wildflower which grows readily in many areas of North America. This long-blooming, tall and majestic perennial, a popular garden plant and a member of the aster/daisy family, has proven health benefits. The Native American people of this land knew of the uses of echinacea for treating wounds, snakebites and for cleansing the system. The early European settlers actually learned about the benefits of this amazing herb/wildflower from the Native Americans. Echinacea has an excellent reputation for enhancing the immune system and research continues to show how it can stimulate the body's own production of white blood cells. The glycoside, echinacoside, contained in echinacea actually works directly with the bone marrow, a site where our bodies produce white blood cells, which are vital for a strong and toned immune system. Therefore, echinacea actually strengthens your body's own defenses so that you can fight infections better yourself, rather than the herb doing the job for you. Research also has confirmed anti-viral activity and natural interferon-boosting capabilities of this amazing plant, which make it an excellent choice in acute and chronic illnesses dealing with a weakened immune system. (Much of the past research on echinacea has been done in Europe. Some sources and studies are listed at the end of this article.)

Most of us have read articles proclaiming the benefits of keeping our immune system healthy, especially in the fall and winter, during cold and flu season. Echinacea was, for me, the very first herb with which I became familiar many years ago. My respect for this plant grew quickly, as I learned how to use it in my own life to prevent infections, colds, etc., and also as a treatment if I did become sick. The therapeutic use of echinacea tincture or extract diluted in water, and taken frequently during a cold, can significantly speed up healing time. Whereas I used to be easily susceptible to “catching” 3-4 colds a year, I found myself only getting sick maybe once a year, and then it would resolve itself quickly, usually in 3-4 days instead of 7-10 days. I have been impressed for 15 years now, and I consider this herb to be essential in my life for health and prevention. Rudolf Weiss, MD, in his book Herbal Medicine says, “The new and large field of immunology provides valuable insights. A whole range of medicinal plants, echinacea foremost among them, had been found to effect a marked improvement in ‘natural’ immunological defensive powers.”

All parts of echinacea are recognized to contain immune-supporting nutrients for our bodies. This includes the flowering top, the leaves, the stem and especially the roots, which are considered to contain the highest concentration of echinacosides. There is a definite difference between a preventative dose and a therapeutic dose. Most herbalists agree that a small amount taken daily, especially during the fall and winter, can be an effective preventative for infections. Most will agree that this will have no side-effects. Weiss again says, “...they have no side effects in normal dosage range and can be given by mouth... Echinacea is taken as soon as influenza-type symptoms appear. Small doses, (usually 20 drops), frequently repeated, will be adequate, every two or three hours on the first and second day following infection.” Then less frequent doses are taken for the duration of the infection.

What all of this means is that a small amount taken daily can be quite advantageous, mainly during cold and flu season. (I do not take echinacea at all in the spring or summer.) If you do get sick, increase the frequency of dosage, especially for the first few days, which can boost your immune system to fight the invading virus or bacteria. A good rule to always remember, which I first learned from Michael Tierra in his book, The Way of Herbs, is to take any long-term herbs for 6 days, then rest for one day, and do this for 3 weeks, and then rest for one week. (6 days on, 1 day off, 3 weeks on, 1 week off.) I have found this to work well with preventative dosages of herbs such as echinacea.

Another thing to consider is that the amount of echinacea in your soft drink is definitely not a therapeutic dosage, and it would rather be considered a preventative dosage. You could therefore consider drinking that beverage according to the schedule suggested above, and only during cold and flu season or at times when you feel vulnerable to infection.

--Susie Cooper, N.M.D.

Resources & Reading List:
* Herbal Medicine, Rudolf Fritz Weiss, MD, 1991.
* The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra, OMD
* The New Age Herbalist, Richard Mabey, 1988.
* Indian Herbology of North America, Alma R. Hutchens, 1991.
* Research articles:
    O. Kuhn, Arzeneimittel Forschung 2, 467, 1952.
    D. Orinda, J. Diederich and A. Wacker, Arzeneimittel Forschung 23 (3), 1973.
    A. Wacker and W. Hilbig, Planta Medica, 33, 89-102, 1978.

©Copyright 2001 by AlternativeApproaches.com

Susie Cooper, a community herbalist and homeopathic educator, has worked in the natural foods business since 1991 and has been teaching workshops on herbal and homeopathic medicine since 1993. In addition to presenting numerous talks, she has also appeared on radio programs pertaining to natural health. With her husband, Paul, she owns and operates Blue Mountain Herbs, a small health food store in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, where she also teaches workshops in herbal and homeopathic medicine. “Offering a proper base of education for people interested in maintaining health the natural way is of utmost importance to me,” she says. “So many options exist in the world around us, and it’s important to me to offer the best traditional educational support I can to people wanting a healthy alternative for prevention and wellness.”

Important note: The information contained in this column is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for specific ailments, but is intended for educational support only. Please seek the advise of a licensed health practitioner for specific illnesses and emergency situations.