Why we selected this company:

Gaia Herbs and Professional Solutions strive to produce pure plant medicines of exceptional quality and purity while enriching the ecology of the earth and the health and harmony of the people that use their phyto-medicines.  Gia Herbs’ mission is all about organics and making phyto-medicines with the highest degree of quality and integrity. To this end, Gaia Herbs and Professional Solutions have proudly invested in cultivation of 250 acres of certified organically grown herbs on our own farm in North Carolina. Our efforts in science & research yield unsurpassed quality botanical medicines.

Why we selected this product:

Efficacy of a standardized echinacea preparation (Echinilin) for the treatment of the common cold: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Goel V, Lovlin R, Barton R, Lyon MR, Bauer R, Lee TD, Basu TK.

Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Recently, echinacea has regained popularity as one of the treatments chosen most commonly by consumers with the expectation that it will reduce the severity and duration of the common cold. However, the results from a limited number of clinical trials for this application have thus far been inconclusive. This incongruity may be the result of investigators utilizing poorly standardized echinacea products, likely devoid of sufficient quantities of active constituents necessary to exert a definitive clinical effect. Therefore, a formulation containing alkamides, cichoric acid, and polysaccharides at concentrations of 0.25, 2.5, and 25 mg/mL, respectively, was prepared from freshly harvested Echinacea purpurea plants (commercially available as Echinilin, Natural Factors Nutritional Products, Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada). The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of this highly standardized formulation in reducing the severity and duration of symptoms of a naturally acquired common cold. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 282 subjects aged 18-65 years with a history of two or more colds in the previous year, but otherwise in good health, were recruited. The subjects were randomized to receive either echinacea or placebo. They were instructed to start the echinacea or placebo at the onset of the first symptom related to a cold, consuming 10 doses the first day and four doses per day on subsequent days for 7 days. Severity of symptoms (10-point scale: 0, minimum; 9, maximum) and dosing were recorded daily. A nurse examined the subjects on the mornings of days 3 and 8 of their cold. RESULTS: A total of 128 subjects contracted a common cold (59 echinacea, 69 placebo). The total daily symptom scores were found to be 23.1% lower in the echinacea group than in placebo in those who followed all elements of the study protocol (P<0.01). Throughout the treatment period, the response rate to treatments was greater in the echinacea group. A few adverse event profiles were observed in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Early intervention with a standardized formulation of echinacea resulted in reduced symptom severity in subjects with naturally acquired upper respiratory tract infection. Further studies with larger patient populations appear to be warranted.

PMID: 14748902 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004 Feb;29(1):75-83.

Immune Modulation of Macrophage Pro-Inflammatory Response by Goldenseal and Astragalus Extracts

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadenisis) is a native American medicinal plant used as an immune stimulant. Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a widely used herbal product in China, other Asian countries, and the United States as an immune stimulant to be taken on first clinical signs of infection. In this study, the innate effects of goldenseal and Astragalus on pro-inflammatory cytokines produced by cultured macrophages were examined using two different commercial preparations of goldenseal and Astragalus. Both goldenseal and Astragalus were found to exhibit little to no direct effect on stimulation of mouse macrophages (J774A.1 cells), with only Astragalus able to affect production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α when used in high concentrations. However, both goldenseal and Astragalus were able to modify responses from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages, with identified immunomodulatory effects to reduce production of TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-12 in a dose-dependent manner. The results obtained indicate that both goldenseal and Astragalus exhibit abilities to modulate macrophage responses during stimulation. Therefore, it is hypothesized that their historical use as therapeutic agents may be due to reduction in the pro-inflammatory response that indirectly leads to limiting of clinical symptoms during infection. Both products differ in their immune stimulatory patterns, offering insight into differential use and therapeutic potential of these products to regulate macrophage immune responses and activation events.

Stacia Clement-Kruzel, Shen-An Hwang, Mark C. Kruzel, Amitava Dasgupta, Jeffrey K. Actor. Journal of Medicinal Food. September 1, 2008, 11(3): 493-498. doi:10.1089/jmf.2008.0044.

Benefits for the body:
Supports Healthy Immune Response
Supports Immune Functions During Seasonal Stressors
Maintains a Healthy Inflammatory Response to Seasonal Stressors

Interesting facts:
The exact mechanism of E. angustifolia’s effect on the mucosal membranes has not been fully understood until recently. Research conducted by Gaia Herbs and several institutions and Universities has elucidated compounds that have restructured our understanding of how Echinacea works. These compounds are called RxA Factors and represent the alkylamide fractions known as isobutlyamides. RxA Factors are found in the roots of E. angustifolia and purpurea and also in the mature ripe seed of E. purpurea. RxA Factors help maintain a healthy inflammatory response. RxA Factors supports the tissues of the sinuses and throat that are exposed to airborne stressors and balance an acutely challenged immune system. Both the pre-inflammatory chemical messengers Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and the RxA factors found in Echinacea compete for the same receptor sites known as canabanoid 2 (CB-2) receptors. When Echinacea is taken at the same time TNF alpha is activated by sinus and respiratory challenges, RxA factors successfully bind to CB-2 receptors and effectively inhibit the uptake of TNF alpha thus promoting a healthy inflammatory response.

Gaia Herbs was the first manufacturer in the United States to use isobutylamides or alkylamides as a marker compound on its product label. Five years of sponsored research and over ten years of independent research have led to the increased understanding of why some Echinacea products work at the onset of respiratory challenge, and why some don’t. If using an Echinacea product at the onset of the common cold, it is imperative to use one highly concentrated in alkylamides. Gaia Herbs cultivates all of it’s Echinacea on the 250 certified Organic Farm in Brevard, NC. It then extracts the material in its adjacent Certified Organic manufacturing laboratory. No other company in North America has invested as much time, resources and effort in researching Echinacea.

The root and rhizomes of Hydrastis canadenisis are highly concentrated in isoquinoline alkaloids or protoberberines namely Hydrastine (3.2- 4.%), Bereberine (2-4.5%), and Canadine (0.5-1%). The known actions of these constituents are vast affecting the immune system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, nervous system and mucosal membranes in general. There have been numerous studies validating the antimicrobial and antiparasitic activity of these chemicals.

Gaia Herbs uses ecologically cultivated Goldenseal. We offer a WholePlant standardized extract containing 10mg of total alkaloids per ml (30 drops). WholePlant standardization offers a regulated, scientifically validated therapeutic dosage of the plant without altering the original chemical profile of the original crude plant material. No solvents other than alcohol and water are used in the extraction process which is conducted in Gaia Herbs Certified Organic Processing Facility. Gaia Herbs captures the essence of Natures Vitality.

Ingredients:
ALCOHOL-FREE CONCENTRATED EXTRACTS OF:
FORMULA MG EXTRACT PER 2 CAPSULES
Echinacea purpurea root                                                                                 44 mg
Echinacea purpurea aerial parts                                                                    44 mg
St. John’s Wort flower buds (Hypericum perforatum)                                 40 mg
Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis)                                                       40 mg
Echinacea angustifolia root                                                                             36 mg
Barberry root (Berberis vulgaris)                                                                    30 mg
Oregon Grape root (Berberis aquifolium)                                                     30 mg
Echinacea purpurea seed                                                                                 8 mg
STANDARDIZED TO FULL SPECTRUM ACTIVITY PROFILE
Total isobutylamides (from Echinacea)                                                      1.52 mg
Total alkaloids                                                                                                    10 mg

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  If in doubt consult with a licensed naturopathic physician before use.  Physicians at Genesis Health Systems can be reached at 480.284.8155 and we are happy to consult with you about this product and helping you achieve optimal health.