Many supplements contain a wholesome addition of herbal extracts to benefit the body alongside vitamins and nutrients. Health Dimension’s supplement of the month, Viracid, contains three key herbal extracts: Echinacea, Astragalus, and Black Elderberry. Each of these herbs benefits the immune system by shortening the time frame of the illness and eliminating foreign invaders of the body.
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
Native to North America, Echinacea Purpurea can be found growing in the central United States and regions of Canada. Echinacea was one of the primary medicinal plants used by the Native Americans, used in tea, topical treatments, and oral medicine. It was discovered that Echinacea is an excellent dietary supplement. Now, Echinacea Purpurea is used in supplements, juices, dried herbs, extracts, and teas.
Echinacea Purpurea extract is used in the Ortho Molecular Viracid supplement as an activator for immune system cells. Additionally, Echinacea competes with bacteria cells to reduce symptoms of colds, flu, and infection.
Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Native to North China, Astragalus Membranaceus Root is used commonly in Chinese medicine to strengthen the immune system. There are more than 2,000 species of Astragalus, but Astragalus Membranaceus is the most common strand used in medicine. The root of Astragalus is used in many components, such as soups, teas, extracts, and supplemental capsules.
The function of Astragalus Membranaceus extract in Viracid is to boost the defensive immune cells to increase the attack rate on invading bacteria. Astragalus has also been tested to demonstrate its support of increasing immune cell ratios.
Black Elderberry Extract
Similar to Echinacea Purpurea, Black Elderberry is commonly used in Europe, North Africa, and Asia for medicinal purposes. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, Black Elderberry is used to help soothe issues with rheumatism, fever, and viral attacks. Black Elderberry extract may come in the form of juice, syrup, tea, powdered extract, lozenges, and supplemental capsules.
Black Elderberry extract is used in Viracid due to its support of the immune cellular pathways which are used to eliminate foreign bacterial invaders. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Black Elderberry is extremely useful in managing inflammatory illnesses. For these reasons, Black Elderberry extract is slowly gaining popularity in the world of supplements.
References:
- Astragalus. (2016). National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/astragalus.
- Hostettmann, K. (2003). History of a plant: the example of Echinacea. National Center for Biotechnology Information, DOI: 10.1159/000071678
- Viracid. (n.d.). Ortho Molecular Products. https://www.orthomolecularproducts.com/assets/1/30/OMPI-Viracid_PDN-A3.pdf.
