Echinacea GP (30)

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Echinacea GP is a natural “antibiotic”, the immune system stimulator that contains standardized 5:1 extract (4% polyphenolic compounds) of the most effective species of Echinacea - Echinacea purpurea and the most effective parts of the plant - aerial parts.

The product has been manufactured using high quality pure herbs and the technology that ensures all their beneficial properties intact, in strict compliance with GMP and TÜV regulations.

Echinacea takes a special place among the traditional herbal remedies. People all over the world are being fed up with the chemical products for maintaining health and more and more often use products, given by Mother Nature.
Intensive rhythm of life, adverse ecological conditions and many other factors lower the natural defense of the body. Statistically, nearly every adult catches a cold 2-4 times a year, children – 6-10 times.

Weakened immune system needs our help – the effective natural product, which has no side effects. Echinacea is known for centuries as a perfect immune system stimulator, natural antibiotic. Echinacea is native to North America, which has been used for centuries as a common herbal remedy for treating colds, ulcers, tumors, blood poisoning, and snakebites. According to some sources no one herb in the world has such wide range of application as Echinacea.
Echinacea is thought to support the immune system by activating white blood cells. (1) Echinacea may also increase production of interferon - specific protein, an important part of the body's response to viral infections. (2) Echinacea also has anti-inflammatory properties. Several double-blind studies have confirmed the benefit of Echinacea for treating colds and flu. (3, 4, 5, 6)

Echinacea not only stimulates the immune system, but also has antibacterial properties, similar to antibiotics. Thus, the effectiveness of Echinacea is high not only in fighting viruses, but also bacteria, which cause respiratory tract, urinary tract, and skin diseases. Due to the unique properties, Echinacea today is one of the most popular herbs in both North America and Europe. The recommended dosage is 250-500 mg of Echinacea extract (5:1). It is recommended to use standardized herbal extracts only, because they provide the essential content of active ingredients. Echinacea GP contains 250 mg of Echinacea purpurea 5:1 extract (aerial parts) that is equal to 1250 mg of Echinacea leaf powder. Echinacea extract is standardized to 4% polyphenolic compounds to guarantee its efficacy.

Daily intake is 1-2 capsules that meet the recommended dosage. The guaranteed content of the active ingredients is the main benefit of the GP range of Santegra® products that provides the efficacy and consistency. Echinacea GP contains flavonoid rutin - natural substance with strong antioxidant activity. Echinacea GP is recommended at the first symptoms of cold or flu!.

As a dietary supplement take 1 capsule 1-2 times daily with a large glass of water with a meal.


Contraindication

Individual intolerance, autoimmune diseases.
Do not take longer than for 8 weeks.

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The common cold is probably the most common illness, leading to more doctor visits and absences from school and work than any other illness. Although rhinoviruses and the coronaviruses cause the majority of colds, there are more than 200 viruses that can inflame the membranes in the lining of the nose and throat. (And we probably don't have to remind you how miserable you feel for anywhere from one to 10 days.) Despite the billions of dollars that pharmaceutical companies spend on researching a cure for the common cold, the best they have come up with are products that alleviate symptoms—and usually make you feel drowsy.

Echinacea has been used successfully for hundreds of years as both a preventative and therapeutic treatment option for colds and upper respiratory infections. Although echinacea's popularity waned with the advent of antibiotics, it became respected among herbal practitioners in Europe after the first scientific study in 1932. But it didn't become a popular herb until the early 1980s, when consumers started investigating natural remedies to help immune disorders. Researchers have discovered that Echinacea contain a diverse range of active components affecting different aspects of immune function.

Santegra®’s product Echinacea GP contains aerial parts of Echinacea purpurea rich in polysaccharides, caffeic acid derivatives (chichoric acid), alkamides, essential oils, etc. Analysis of polar fractions of Echinacea purpurea extracts showed the presence of antiviral activity, with evidence suggesting that polyphenolic compounds may be involved. (12)

Studies have shown that chichoric acid has immunostimulating effects, as well as antioxidant properties. he pharmacological activity of polyphenolic compound found in Echinacea includes also disintoxication, regenerative, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and adaptogenic.

Caffeic acid glucoside increases the defense against infectious and viral diseases, accelerates the recovery.

Polysaccharides, found in Echinacea have immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory properties; stimulate macrophages activity in phagocytosis of bacterias, viruses and dead cells. Polysaccharides promote tissue regeneration, stimulate fibroblasts, and inhibit hyaluronidase, an enzyme secreted by bacteria in order to break down host cell membranes and penetrate the cells. Inhibition of this enzyme may be one of the mechanisms by which Echinacea supplements help prevent infection.

Echinacea promotes nonspecific T-cell activation, a type of white blood cell important in providing resistance to bacteria, yeast, fungi, parasites, and viruses. The T-cells then increase the production of interferon, an important part of the body's response to viral infections.

In double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 individuals with early cold symptoms were given either an above-ground Echinacea purpurea extract or placebo. The results showed that individuals who were given echinacea recovered significantly more quickly: just 6 days in the echinacea group versus 9 days in the placebo group. (7)

Double-blind, mono-centric, placebo-controlled clinical study examined the immunostimulating influence of an expressed fresh juice E. purpurea(8) preparation on the course and severity of colds and flu-like symptoms with patients deemed to have greater susceptibility to infections (as predetermined by T-cell ratios in the blood). A total of 108 patients (54 control; 54 treatment) were evaluated over an eight-week period. They received a dose of 2-4 ml/day. Compared with the placebo group, the treatment group had a decrease in frequency of infections, an increase in length of interval between infections, a reduction in the average duration of colds, and less severe symptoms. The study shows that patients with diminished immune response (expressed by a low T4/T8 cell ratio) could benefit from preventative treatment to cold and flu infections with the echinacea preparation.

In this randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study on a standardized echinacea preparation 282 healthy subjects aged 18-65 years with a history of 2 or more colds in the previous year received either echinacea or placebo. They were instructed to start the echinacea or placebo at the onset of the first symptom related to a cold, consuming 10 doses the first day and 4 doses per day on subsequent days for 7 days. The severity of the symptoms and dosing were recorded daily, and a nurse examined the subjects on the mornings of days 3 and 8 of their cold.

One hundred twenty eight of the subjects got a common cold; 59 took echinacea and 69 took a placebo. The total daily symptom scores were found to be 23.1% lower in the echinacea group, and throughout the treatment period, the response rate to treatments was greater in the echinacea group. The researchers concluded that early intervention with a standardized formulation of echinacea resulted in reduced symptom severity in subjects with naturally acquired upper respiratory tract infection. (9)

One recent study found that daily consumption of echinacea is prophylactic, extending the life span of aging mice and mice with leukemia. The researchers add that, "Given that humans are 97% genetically common with mice and that virtually all our basic physiology is identical, it is neither unjustified to extrapolate these observations to humans nor would it be an arduous task to perform many of these studies in humans, thus establishing viable scientific evidence replacing the anecdotal." (10)

Researchers at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, investigated the value of taking echinacea intermittently, continuously, or only at the beginning of an illness. All the mice that received a daily dose of echinacea, throughout life, were still alive at seven months, as opposed to the control mice, of which 79% were still alive.
At approximately 13 months of age, the mice that consumed an untreated diet had a 46% survival rate while those consuming echinacea, had a 74% survival rate. Additionally, the key immune cells—natural killer (NK) cells—were significantly elevated in both the bone marrow production site, as well as in the spleen—the major organ to which they traffic and function. The researchers concluded that it appears that regular intake of echinacea may indeed be beneficial/prophylactic, if only for the reason that it maintains an elevated level of NK cells, the most important defense against tumors, a phenomenon which increases in frequency with progressive aging. (11)

The anti-inflammatory properties of Echinacea have proven useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis. In one study, fifteen drops of E. purpurea extract three times a day reduced inflamation by 21.8%. While this decrease is approximately half of that associated with cortisone or prednisone, no side effects were noted as observed in the steroids.

Braunig et al. (1992) in a double-blind placebo-controlled study with 180 volunteers studied the effect of an E. purpurea root ethanol extract in relieving the symptoms and duration of flu-like symptoms. Compared with the placebo control group, volunteers who received 900 mg/dose (equivalent to about 4 droppers full) exhibited statistically significant improvement compared with the placebo.

Echinaceamay become a useful adjunct to cancer treatment. Depression of white blood cell levels during both radiation and chemotherapy may be treated using Echinacea. A study involving fifty-five radiation therapy patients revealed that 85% of those who were treated with E. purpurea simultaneously showed a stable white blood cell count while those without Echinacea showed a steady decline.

1. See DM, Broumand N, Sahl L, Tilles JG. In vitro effects of echinacea and ginseng on natural killer and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in healthy subjects and chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. Immunpharmacol 1997;35:229-35.


2. Leuttig B, Steinmuller C, Gifford GE, et al. Macrophage activation by the polysaccharide arabinogalactan isolated from plant cell cultures of Echinacea purpurea. J Natl Cancer Inst 1989;81:669-75.


3. Melchart D, Linde K, Worku F, et al. Immunomodulation with Echinacea-a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Phytomedicine 1994;1:245-54.


4. Hoheisel O, Sandberg M, Bertram S, et al. Echinacea shortens the course of the common cold: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Clin Res 1997;9:261-8.


5. Braunig B, Dorn M, Knick E. Echinacea purpurea root for strengthening the immune response to flu-like infections. Zeitschrift Phytotherapie 1992;13:7-13.


6. Brikenborn RM, Shah DV, Degenring FH. Echinaforce® and other Echinacea fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Phytomedicine 1999;6:1-5.


7. Schulten B., Bulitta M., Ballering-Bruhl B., Koster U., Schafer M. Efficacy of Echinacea purpurea in patients with a common cold. A placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind clinical trial // Arzneimittelforschung. — 2001. — 51(7). — Р. 563–568


8. Schoneberger, D. 1992. The influence of immune-stimulating effects of pressed juice from Echinacea purpurea on the course and severity of colds. Forum Immunologie 2:18–22.


9. V. Goel, R. Lovlin, R. Barton, M. R. Lyon, R. Bauer, T. D. G. Lee , T. K. Basu Efficacy of a standardized Echinacea preparation (EchinilinTM) for the treatment of the common cold: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 2004 Feb;29(1):75-83.


10. Miller SC. Echinacea: a Miracle Herb against Aging and Cancer? Evidence In vivo in Mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 Sep;2(3):309-14.


11. Brousseau M, Miller SC. Enhancement of natural killer cells and increased survival of aging mice fed daily Echinacea root extract from youth. Biogerontology. 2005;6(3):157-63.


12. Diane F Birt, Mark P Widrlechner, Carlie A LaLone, Lankun Wu, Jaehoon Bae, Avery KS Solco, George A Kraus, Patricia A Murphy, Eve S Wurtele, Qiang Leng, Steven C Hebert, Wendy J Maury and Jason P Price. Echinacea in infection. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 87, No. 2, 488S-492S, February 2008.