Elderberry 101
🌿Black elder is native to the Southeast of North America
🌿 Native Americans have a tradition of using elderberry for its healing properties, particularly to treat fever and rheumatism
🌿 Elderberries have been used as a part of folk medicine for centuries in Europe, northern Africa, and some parts of Asia for numerous illnesses and health problems —influenza, colds and sinusitis, and viruses
🌿It’s anti-allergy. Elderberry acts as an expectorant and has a positive effect on nasal congestion to improve respiration. This helps allergies, sinus issues & colds. It is a powerful tool against upper respiratory infections too. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30670267/
🌿It’s a potent anti-viral. (For example, see this study concluding that “elderberry had a beneficial effect by the stimulating immune response and preventing viral infection.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22972323/
This study found it not only effective against flu virus types A and B and herpes simplex-1 virus. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…/abs/10.1002/ptr.2650040305 There are even case reports of it working against HIV!
🌿It’s super charged with antioxidants!⚡️Purdue University explains that “Elderberry medicinal potential comes from its antioxidant potential...Our body uses antioxidants from plant origins to neutralize harmful free radicals and elderberry total antioxidant capacity is one of the highest of all the small fruits.” Antioxidants protect the body’s defenses.
🌿Elderberry is very effective against the FLU! Elderberry acts as an anti-viral, with lots of interesting scientific research backing this up. For example, this 2004 Norway study, “Symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/15080016/
🌿Powerful against reducing fevers. It was used to reduce fevers for centuries in folk medicine for a reason - there are so many studies showing it reduces cold symptoms including fevers.
🌿Elderberry reduces cold symptoms. If you’ve ever taken it, you probably know what a difference it makes when you’re sick. This 2016 study looking at cold duration on 312 airplane passengers concluded that “a significant effect of elderberry on cold duration and cold associated symptoms was detected.” Not only did their colds last days shorter, but their symptoms were markedly reduced. Even better? They found no adverse reactions for anyone taking elderberry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/
🌿Anti-inflammatory to the rescue! As if it wasn’t awesome enough, it had been shown to modulate the inflammatory response. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…/abs/10.1002/ptr.2650010107
There are SO many research articles on elderberries! I just listed a very select few. For more on Elderberry, here are some great and very in-depth articles with more links to studies and research:
https://www.researchgate.net/…/An-Evidence-Based-Systematic…
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/…/pdfs/charlebois284-292.pdf
