A quick emergency boost to fight infections, elderberries support your body’s natural protective immune system. It helps you recover faster from illness or infection and eases inflammation.
These elderberries are even better when blended with multivitamins and herbs with real impact for your health and lifestyle.
It can include vitamin C, E, B 6, plus zinc, glutamine HCL, echinacea, garlic, turmeric, and lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic.
Elderberry Benefits
The plant most often used is Sambucus nigra, a native plant of Europe, the berries are small black or blue-black berry bunches; they are very tart and need to be cooked before eaten.
- Elderberries have been used throughout history, for both medicinal and culinary purposes.
- The berries are used to fight influenza, colds, infections, sciatica, headaches, dental pain, heart and nerve pain, an immune booster and as a diuretic.
- Elderberry are also made into culinary delights, it is used as juice, jams, chutneys and wines.
- They are high in fibers and the antioxidants of phenolic acids, anthocyanins and flavanols.
- Studies on elderberries, published in Nutrients, 2016, shows that elderberries were able to reduce duration of a cold. Another study from the Journal of International Medical Research, found that elderberry extract used within 48 hours of onset of flu, can shorten duration of flu symptoms.
Beneficial Additions to Elderberry Products
Any of these additions to your berries can help your body fight infections, pains and boost your bodies health.
- Zinc is helpful with fighting colds, flu, wound healing and helps with macular degeneration.
- Glutamine HCL is an essential amino acid, a protein, that is used to help boost the immune system and improves your ability to prevent disease. It is great for anyone with leaky gut, promoting digestive and brain health.
- Echinacea is an herb, purple coneflower, one of the most popular herbs worldwide. They are filled with antioxidants and linked to reduced inflammation, improved immunity and even lowering of blood sugar levels.
- Garlic has been used and recommended by Hippocrates time of the ancient Greeks, and still today, for bronchitis, respiratory problems, fatigue, flatulence, liver disorders, colic, fevers and rheumatism.
- Turmeric contains the compound, curcumin, that is the best antioxidant against inflammation. It assists your body in fighting chronic inflammation which affects all Western diseases; including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain disorders, and even prevent or inhibit tumor growth of cancers.
- Lactobacillus acidophilus is a friendly bacterium, a probiotic, used to help digestive disorders, possibly effective in bacterial infections, diarrhea and colds.
Side Effects of Elderberries
Do not eat these berries raw, they contain cyanide, so they need to be cooked to remove this compound. It can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea when consumed raw. All products made from these berries are cooked first before processed into supplements or drinks.
References:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/es-es/drugs-supplements-zinc/art-20366112
https://draxe.com/nutrition/l-glutamine-benefits-side-effects-dosage/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/echinacea#what-it-is
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265853#history
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/
Cindy Burrows, B.S., M.T., Herbalist and is a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant helping individuals with health programs to improve life and happiness. She is a writer, speaker and owner of several businesses.