By GreenMedInfo Research Group

Echinacea, also known as coneflower, is among the most commonly used herbal medicines—valued traditionally for immune support and relief from upper respiratory symptoms. Native Americans used echinacea for hundreds of years to treat respiratory infections, colds, coughs, bronchitis, and more.¹

With at least fifty-four known pharmacological actions, emerging evidence also suggests it has anxiety-relieving and mood-enhancing effects.

Echinacea for Emotional Well-Being 

Echinacea’s immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties are well-known, but its potential psychotropic benefits are just beginning to be explored. Now, researchers believe this herbal remedy may offer potent anxiety relief.

In a 2010 animal study comparing echinacea preparations with the benzodiazepine chlordiazepoxide, researchers showed for the first time that it had anxiolytic effects. Study authors concluded, “From the point of view of safety, echinacea preparations are excellent candidates for the alternative treatment of anxiety…The remarkable anxiolytic effects demonstrated here suggest that certain echinacea preparations are excellent alternative anxiolytics from the point of view of efficacy as well.” The authors also noted that unlike chlordiazepoxide, echinacea extract decreased anxiety without affecting locomotion.²

Similarly, a 2013 study investigating the toxicity, psychotropic side effects, and anxiolytic potential of an Echinacea angustifolia extract demonstrated decreased anxiety in both animal and human subjects. Specifically, in the healthy volunteers, the team administered one or two tablets containing 20 milligrams (mg) of the plant extract daily for one week. The higher, two-tablet dose decreased anxiety after just three days.

According to the study authors, the anxiolytic effect remained stable for the duration of the treatment (seven days) and for the two weeks following treatment. “These findings show that the E angustifolia extract studied here rapidly decreases mild anxiety symptoms. We suggest that the extract may be especially useful for the treatment of fluctuating anxiety symptoms or occasional increases in anxiety,” study authors concluded.³

More recently, a 2020 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial tested 40 mg of echinacea daily for seven days among adults with anxiety. Echinacea led to significant decreases in anxiety scores compared to placebo, suggesting “particular echinacea preparations have significant beneficial effects on anxiety in humans.”⁴

Echinacea May Influence the Cannabinoid System

Several of the studies used an echinacea extract with a standardized amount of alkamides—compounds in echinacea believed to be associated with its anxiety-reducing effects, likely by influencing cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors.

It is believed that echinacea’s anxiety-relieving effects may be linked to the cannabinoid system, which is a network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that regulates processes such as learning, memory, emotional processing, and sleep. The cannabinoid system has been linked to not only anxiety but also depressive symptoms.⁵

Additionally, echinacea’s powerful immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects are thought to be involved in its mood-boosting potential. According to research published in the Journal of Effective Disorders:

Another potential mechanism that may be associated with echinacea’s antidepressant effects is via its anti-inflammatory influence. There is a strong body of evidence confirming echinacea has immunomodulatory effects. Because depression is associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation, echinacea’s anti-inflammatory effects may potentially be responsible for its antidepressant influences.

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Well Being Journal adapted the above article from the previously published original at greenmedinfo.com titled “New Benefit of Echinacea Discovered,” April 28, 2023.

References

1. Michele Catanzaro, et al. “Immunomodulators inspired by nature: A review on curcumin and echinacea,” Molecules. 2018 Nov; 23(11): 2778.
2. J Haller, et al. “The effect of echinacea preparations in three laboratory tests of anxiety: comparison with chlordiazepoxide,”
3. J Haller, et al. “The anxiolytic potential and psychotropic side effects of an echinacea preparation in laboratory animals and healthy volunteers,” Phytotherapy Research. 2013 27(1): 54-61.
4. J Haller, et al. “Double-blind placebo controlled trial of the anxiolytic effects of a standardized echinacea extract,” 2020, 34(3): 660-668.
5. Grinspoon, Peter. “The Endocannabinoid System: Essential and Mysterious.” Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School, August 11, 2021.