Echinacea: a Miracle Herb against Aging and Cancer?
Study results have shown that daily consumption of Echinacea is indeed prophylactic, extends the life span of aging mice, significantly abates leukemia and extends the life span of leukemic mice.
Given that humans are 97% genetically common with mice and that virtually all our basic physiology is identical, it is not unjustified to extrapolate these observations to humans.
Contained within Echinacea root extract is a family of complex polysaccharides known as arabinogalactans. These sugars directly stimulate macrophages to produce three cytokines that, in turn, directly stimulate NK cells.
It has been known for some years that NK (and T) cells decline with age, and correspondingly, cancers of assorted types increase with age in both mice and humans.
Chronic (long-term) intake of Echinacea was not only not detrimental but also distinctly prophylactic. Mice in control cages eating untreated chow had a 79% survival by 10 months of age, while mice living under identical conditions, with the one variable being Echinacea in the daily chow, were still 100% alive by 10 months of age. By 13 months of age, control mice were 46% still alive, while those consuming Echinacea were 74% alive.
I find Echinacea interesting because its effects our endocannibinoid system, the same system marijuana effects ;)
The ECS effects pain, memory, immune systems, body temperature, muscle control, sleep, metabolic rate (which in turn effects nearly everything else)... its a pretty well connected part of the brain it seems.
Random stoner advice: if you're quitting marijuana and don't want to deal with the insomnia that comes from that, start popping Echinacea. I've found 3 days of restless sleep reduces to ~1 night of sort-of-not-great sleep if you start dosing with Echinacea to help your body get at least some of the chemicals its become dependent on while you're detoxing.
edit... just wanted to add I find anything claiming to be a "cure for cancer" to be skeptical. I like Echinacea, its a pretty cool plant, but I'll need to see more studies related to its effects on aging and cancer before I'd believe it has clear and measurable benefits for it... seems like someone would have figured it out a long time ago if the cure was sitting on a shelf in Walmart all this time :P
That's an interesting effect, I wasn't aware of it. Thanks for sharing that.
I don't think the article was in any way over the top in making cancer cure claims; the authors simply reported the results of their research.
Of course more studies are needed, however getting funding to study un-patentable natural substances is not easy. Perhaps a DAO could do something like that in the future :). It would be great to have more studies funded focused on community benefit vice corporate profit. I think that if the majority of studies were biased towards community benefit, vice profit as is the case now, it would prove hugely beneficial to human health.
I think the studies prove fairly well that daily chronic echinacea intake is not only not harmful, but potentially quite beneficial. Many information sources have recommended taking breaks from echinacea or only using it when some illness flares up due to fears that chronic use may burn out the immune system. That doesn't seem to be the case.