Chicoric acid is the main phenolic active ingredient in Echinacea purpurea ，best known for its immune-enhancing ability, as well as used as a herbal medicine.
The echinacea plant is still in use today as a dietary supplement. There are nine species of echinacea, but only two of them, Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia, are commonly used in supplements. Although echinacea supplements are most commonly found in pill form, the plant can also be found in teas, juices, and creams.
Echinacea contains several chemicals that may provide health benefits. Researchers believe that two chemicals in particular, polysaccharides and glycoproteins, boost your body's immune system. Your immune system helps you fight off germs that cause infection.
The research on Echinacea purpurea is promising. Here are some health benefits of the purple coneflower extract, according to science.
Research suggests that echinacea can be an effective immunomodulator, helping your body fight off challenges. You can take the herbal supplement if you're starting to feel a bit "off" your game, or even just as a proactive measure.
When your body perceives a potential "opponent," it rallies the troops, so to speak. However, too much of that can be a bad thing, which is why it's important to promote a healthy inflammatory response—which is exactly what echinacea was found to do, both in a study with mice, and in another study of adults with aging bones.
Studies have found that echinacea can have an anxiolytic effect, which means that the herb can help you stay calm. This has been observed in both rats and humans. In a study using an index to report feelings of being worried, human participants who took echinacea reported a healthy response to stress within three days, and for two weeks following
