Recommended Echinacea Dosages
Fresh echinacea is the most potent, and all parts of the herb are used (flowers, leaves, roots, and stems). Crow Indians assert that the most powerful part of echinacea is the root. In fact, they recommend chewing chunks of the root (if you can stand the taste) as an immune booster.(7, 40)
Tinctures and extracts made with fresh echinacea can be stored and remain effective for 2-3 years. Avoid buying herbal products made with echinacea that are over a year old.(40)
Adults
Dosages vary by product (which often contains other herbs) and condition. Integrative medicine experts offer the following recommendations:
| Condition | Product & Dosages |
|---|---|
|
Sinus infection(41) |
Liquid echinacea:(41) 2 dropperfuls, 4-5 times daily |
|
Colds and flu (viral upper respiratory infections)(41, 42) |
EchinOsha, which also contains elderberry:(41) 1-2 teaspoons every 2-4 hours during symptoms Liquid echinacea extract:(42) 1-2 mL in juice or water, under the tongue Powdered echinacea extract:(42) 150-300 mg in supplement form Echinacea tincture:(42) 1-5 mL, made with ethanol Echinacea angustifolia tea & poultice:(7) Wrap a cloth soaked in tea made from echinacea root around your neck. After a while, remove and drink remaining tea. |
|
Uterine fibroids(43) |
Echinacea/Red Root formula:(43) 30 drops twice/day for 3 months |
|
Boils & carbuncles(44) (a Romany remedy) |
Echinacea tea:(44) Boil one ounce of dried Echinacea angustifolia per pint of water. Drink an ounce of the tea twice a day and apply topically to lesion. |
|
Poison ivy(45) |
Herbal liniment:(45) Soak equal amounts of echinacea root, mugwort, white oak bark, plantain leaf, and chickweed in rubbing alcohol for a month. Strain and store. Using a cotton ball, apply to affected areas for relief. Do not reuse cotton ball. |
|
Wounds(7) (a Crow remedy) |
Powdered E. angustifolia root:(7) Sprinkle on wounds to stop bleeding, reduce pain, and as a disinfectant. |
|
Canker sores(7) (a Crow remedy) |
E. angustifolia tincture:(7) Apply topically to canker sores to help hasten healing. Note that the tincture will sting when first applied. |
|
Toothache(7) (a Crow remedy) |
E. angustifolia tincture:(7) Apply topically for temporary pain relief. |
Children
Some integrative medicine doctors discourage using echinacea for children. They cite the lack of randomized, controlled clinical trials and the slight increase in rashes in children taking echinacea.(42)
However, other pediatric experts suggest the following doses of Echinacea purpurea tinctures for upper respiratory infections:(14)
- Children age 2 and up: 1-5 mL, 3-5 times a day
- Infants: 1-2 drops per pound of body weight 3 times a day
Topical Echinacea
Apply ointments containing echinacea as needed to improve wound healing.(9, 46)
Caution
Integrative experts suggest that people with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder, not take echinacea. This is based on anecdotal reports of worsening symptoms with echinacea use.(44)
Practitioners of traditional Crow Indian medicine recommend taking echinacea intermittently for best immune system effect. For example, take echinacea tincture daily every other month.(7)