Echinaforce® Echinacea
drops (tincture) and tablets - herbal remedy for colds and flu
Echinaforce Echinacea is a
licensed traditional herbal remedy for colds and flu. It helps
the body fight the symptoms of these infections by supporting
the immune system, helping to maintain the body's resistance.
Benefits and features of Echinaforce® Echinacea
-
Helps fight the misery
of colds and flu
-
Strengthens the immune
system
-
Made from Echinacea
purpurea
-
Fresh herb extract
Echinaforce is produced
using extracts of freshly harvested, organically grown Echinacea
purpurea herb and root, picked fresh and used within 24 hours of
harvest. The benefit of using freshly harvested herbs has been
demonstrated in research extracts produced from fresh plants
contain almost 3 times more active substances compared with
those obtained from equivalent amounts of dried herb*.
This is why, when you need a herbal remedy to help you fight the
misery of colds and flu, not all Echinaceas are the same.
Echinaforce Echinacea drops and tablets a traditional herbal
remedy used for the symptomatic relief of colds, influenza type
infections and similar upper respiratory tract conditions.
Always read the leaflet
* Study: M. Tobler et al: Characteristics of whole fresh plant
extracts. Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur GanzheitMedizin, 1994
What are Echinacea drops
and tablets?
Echinaforce is a licensed medicine made
from fresh extracts of Echinacea
purpurea herb (95%) and Echinacea
purpurea root (5%). It is available as
drops (tincture in 15ml, 50ml & 100ml
bottles) and as tablets (42 tablets &
120 tablets):
-
Echinaforce
Echinacea drops: This is the
original Echinacea extract
formulated by Alfred Vogel and
contains the tinctures of Echinacea
purpurea herb and root. 0.6ml drops
contains the equivalent of 285mg
whole fresh plant. Also contains
65%v/v ethanol.
-
Echinaforce
Echinacea tablets: This is the
tableted version of Echinaforce
Echinacea drops. Each tablet
contains the extract of Echinacea
purpurea herb and root equivalent to
270mg whole fresh plant. Also
contains lactose, starch, magnesium
stearate.
Echinacea is a plant native to America
but is now cultivated extensively in
Europe. The plants used to produce
Echinaforce are cultivated organically
in Switzerland at Vogel's own herb
farms.
Up
to 10 species of Echinacea have been
identified, but only three (Echinacea
purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and
Echinacea pallida) are used medicinally.
Echinacea purpurea, the species used in
Echinaforce, is considered to be the
most widely researched.
Dosage of Echinacea
drops and tablets
Echinaforce Echinacea drops
(tincture) and Echinacea tablets may be used by adults and
children over the age of 6 years to fight the symptoms of colds
and flu.
Dosage of Echinaforce drops:
Adults: 15 drops (0.6ml) of tincture in a small amount of water,
2 to 3 times daily.
Children (6-12 years): 7 drops (0.3ml) of tincture in a small
amount of water, 2 to 3 times daily.
Dosage of Echinaforce tablets:
Adults: Two tablets, 2 to 3 times daily.
Children (6-12 years): One tablet, 2 to 3 times daily.
-
Not for use in children
under 6 years.
-
Echinaforce Echinacea
drops and tablets are for oral use only. For external use of
an Echinacea extract, please see our page on Echinacea
cream.
-
Do not take more than
the recommended dose. Taking too much (overdose) is unlikely
to be harmful.
Using Echinacea in
Pregnancy or when breastfeeding
There is no
evidence to suggest that using any
Echinacea product during pregnancy
or breastfeeding will be harmful to
the unborn or new-born child.
However, only a
few scientific studies have been
done on the use of Echinacea during
pregnancy or breastfeeding and
because of this, the UK Department
of Health considers that the
benefits of using Echinacea in these
situations are outweighed by the
risks and does not recommend the use
of Echinacea drops or tablets in
pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Echinaforce
Echinacea Side Effects
Do not use
Echinaforce drops or tablets if you
are:
You should also
be aware that Echinaforce Echinacea
drops, like all herbal tinctures,
contains ethanol (alcohol). Each
dose of tincture contains up to
350mg of ethanol, equivalent to
8.8ml of beer (less than a
tablespoon) or 3.7ml of wine (less
than a teaspoon). If you suffer from
alcoholism, the alcohol content of
Echinaforce Echinacea drops may be
harmful. If you are in a high-risk
group (eg. patients with liver
disease or epilepsy) you should
consider the alcohol content before
taking this product.
Echinacea Frequently Asked
Questions
1. What are
the health benefits of Echinaforce
Echinacea?
Echinaforce Echinacea drops and
tablets may be used to relieve the
symptoms of the common cold and flu,
helping the body fight these and
other similar infections of the
upper respiratory tract.
2. How does it work?
Echinaforce works by strengthening
the body's immune system; the
benefit of this is that the body is
able to fight infections better.
3. Are summer colds different
from ordinary common colds
experienced during the winter?
No, these are similar infections.
However, summer colds may give rise
to more symptoms relating to the
throat (irritated, sore or tickly
throat) because of the prevalence of
air-conditioning. Nevertheless,
summer and winter colds behave in
the same way and there are no
differences seen with the benefits
of using Echinaforce Echinacea.
4. How do I know if I have the
flu?
It can sometimes be difficult to
tell. Flu (or influenza) produces
similar symptoms to the common cold
but these are usually more severe.
In addition, you may experience
fever, sweats and muscle aches.
5. Can I take Echinaforce if I've
had the flu jab or vaccination?
There are no contraindications to
the use of Echinaforce Echinacea
drops or tablets either before or
after the flu vaccination.
6. What about swine flu, bird flu
and any other new flu infections
that may come our way during the
winter?
Swine flu, avian flu (bird flu) and
other variants of flu are all
infections caused by the influenza
virus. Echinaforce will help
strengthen the immune system and
relieve the symptoms of these
infections in the same way it does
with other flu infections or the
common cold.
7. What is a head cold?
There really is no proper definition
for the term 'head cold'. It is a
commonly used expression usually
indicating that symptoms, such as a
blocked nose or sore throat, are
confined to the head.
8. Can I take Echinacea when
pregnant or breastfeeding?
The use of Echinacea during
pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding is
not recommended in the UK. If you
wish to take Echinaforce in these
situations, it is recommended that
you consult a doctor or other
healthcare professional.
Although there is no evidence that
use of Echinacea by pregnant or
breastfeeding women will be harmful,
only a few studies have been
performed to demonstrate that it is
safe to do so. In the absence of
this evidence, the UK Department of
Health takes the view that the
benefits of using Echinacea in
pregnancy or breastfeeding are
outweighed by the risks.
The Fresh Echinacea Story
Echinaforce is unique as it
is made from freshly harvested Echinacea plants.
Vogel's founder, Alfred Vogel, was a well-known naturopath and
herbalist who lived in Switzerland. At his clinic in Teufen,
Vogel found that patients responded better to herbal remedies
made from fresh plant material. This led him to pioneer the
concept of fresh herb extraction a technique we still use today
to make our herbal remedies.
Black Elk and Vogel
In the early 1950s, on a visit to South Dakota, Alfred Vogel
received a gift of Echinacea seeds from Sioux medicine man, Ben
Black Elk. These were brought back to Teufen where the first
crop of Echinacea plants were carefully nurtured and used to
create Vogel's first batch of Echinacea tincture, which he
called Echinaforce.
Today, all the plants used to make Echinaforce drops and tablets
are descended from the seeds Black Elk gifted to Alfred Vogel.
During each autumn, Vogel harvest seeds from three year-old
Echinacea plants, which are used to produce the seedlings for
the following spring.
The benefits of using Fresh Echinacea
Alfred Vogel's belief that the use of freshly harvested herbs
produced better herbal remedies was based on his clinical
experience. Today, knowledge from the latest scientific studies
helps us understand why this is so.
Research shows us that extracts produced from freshly harvested
Echinacea contains up to three times more active substances,
such as alkylamides, than equivalent amounts of dried plant
material.*
* Study: M. Tobler et al: Characteristics of whole fresh plant
extracts. Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur GanzheitMedizin, 1994
More about Bioforce (Words by Bioforce)
Bioforce is the UK market leader for Herbal Medicines. The company produces an extensive range of products focusing on A.Vogel organic fresh herb tinctures and tincture tablets. Established in 1987 and based in Irvine, Scotland, we are at the forefront of Phytotherapy, the science of using herbs to maintain health and influence illness.
The A.Vogel range of fresh herb tinctures and tablets are manufactured in Switzerland and transported to Scotland where they are bottled in our modern facility in Irvine, which also operates to GMP standards. All our products are distributed throughout Britain and Ireland.
We are a modern science-based company, grounded in the knowledge and traditions of the herbalist. We offer a comprehensive programme of education to ensure that the most up-to-date information is available to those who use our products. Our team of Territory Managers is supplemented by a Nutritionist, Pharmacists and Quality Control staff and headed by our Medical Director, Dr Jen Tan.
Our leading products include Echinaforce, Atrogel Arnica Gel, Atrosan Devil's Claw tablets, Prostasan Saw Palmetto capsules, Venaforce Horse Chestnut tablets and Hyperiforce St John's Wort tablets.
Our parent company, based in Roggwil, Switzerland, was founded in 1963 by Alfred Vogel, the eminent Swiss Naturopath and pioneer in natural health, and now supplies fresh herb tinctures to over 30 countries world-wide.
The majority of herbs used to produce the A.Vogel range are grown using a strict organic protocol, mainly in the fertile conditions of Roggwil. This allows the company to exert complete control over the cultivation of plants, from planting through to harvesting using Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP).
All our products are manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) protocols and control. Stringent quality controls and a full range of scientific tests throughout growth and manufacture also ensure the best of quality. Certain herbs such as Arnica montana, Saw Palmetto and Devil’s Claw are cultivated on special farms in other parts of the world, again using organic protocols."
