Echinacea has a rich tradition in the culture of the North American Plains Indians, who used it more than any other plant to help maintain their health during the winter time. They also applied root poultices, used echinacea mouthwash and drank the tea. It was prominent in America until the 1940's. The Europeans, who discovered it in the 1930's, still use it extensively. Botanists named the plant after the hedgehog (Echinus) to describe its prickly, cone-like centre. It grows naturally in the Midwest states from western Pennsylvania to Kansas and as far south as Northern Texas. Hundreds of scientific studies have indicated that echinacea can help support the immune function.

  In recent years, research has discovered a mechanism by which echinacea may help. One of the primary defence mechanisms of the body is made of a jelly-like substance called Hyaluronic Acid (HA). HA occurs in the tissues between cells to `cement' them together. There is an enzyme, hyaluronidase, which attacks HA in a way not fully understood. When it does, the HA quickly loses its jelly-like viscosity, and this protective `cement' loses its effectiveness. If the enzyme is allowed to destroy the integrity of the HA barrier, immune function may suffer. Echinacea has been shown to prevent the enzyme from dissolving HA Forever Echinacea Supreme contains both of the most highly prized forms of Echinacea (Purpurea and Augustifolia), plus goldenseal and grape seed extract, for maximum benefits.