The Power of Echinacea

Alfred Vogel, Swiss pioneer of natural medicine and author of The Nature Doctor (Keats, 1991), first discovered the power of echinacea in the 1950s when he met a Sioux medicine man named Black Elk in South Dakota.

Both men believed in the healing power of natural medicine and quickly became friends. Black Elk offered Alfred Vogel some purple coneflower seeds as a farewell gift. These became the "mother seeds" of Echinaforce®.

Vogel's Founding Philosophy

For thirty years Alfred Vogel (1902-1996) practised naturopathy in the Appenzell region of Switzerland, empowering his patients through education. "The physician is like a mountain guide," wrote Vogel. "He leads and shows the way, but he does not carry the patients. They have to make their way themselves."

Patients were invited to stay with Vogel, and together they would gather herbs from his garden. They were shown how to make remedies and were taught about proper nutrition and exercise.

In 1955 the first Echinaforce® tincture was produced using fresh whole plant parts. Vogel believed that, "every substance contained in a plant has purpose and significance." These substances complement one another and act holistically.

50 Years Later

By 1963, increased demand for Echinaforce® led to the establishment of the Bioforce production plant. A visit to Bioforce today shows Vogel's founding philosophy is very much alive in the spirit of employees and in the way Echinaforce® is produced.

Fields of brilliant purple flowers are surrounded by a stunning natural landscape and dozens of other herb varieties used in A.Vogel brand natural products. The purple flowers are Bioforce's "power flower" Echinacea purpurea. Seeds used in Bioforce products are not genetically manipulated. They are cultivated organically without the use of chemicals or other contaminants.

Bioforce is one of few companies in the world that processes fresh plants within 24 hours of harvesting. In accordance with Vogel's rule that "every fresh plant product must contain the fullest possible healing power that the fresh plant has to offer," the whole echinacea plant is used. Strict quality control is employed at every step of the production process for maximum efficacy.

Proven Immune-Modulating Effects

A research team led by Dr. J?Gertsch of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology investigated the mode of action of echinacea at the molecular level. This study confirmed that the body's immune system is bolstered by alkylamides found in the plant (FEBS Letters November, 2004).

These alkylamides regulate one of the strongest and most important messenger substances in the immune system, known as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF a). TNF a stimulates the immune system to act against an infection. Echinaforce® exerts a long-lasting, yet moderate stimulation of TNF a with no risk. Cells only become active if the immune reaction is necessary. Echinaforce® supports immune defense and reduces the body's vulnerability to the common cold and other infections in a safe and effective way.

Alfred Vogel's natural remedies, food products, and nutritional supplements are marketed under the A.Vogel brand worldwide. Echinaforce® is available in tablets, liquid form, extra strength, and children's dosages in natural health stores across Canada.

For more information on A.Vogel products, visit www.bioforce.ca.