Cold and flu season is upon us again, but don’t worry—plants to the rescue! Elderberry* has grown in popularity of late, and it’s easy to see why: throughout history, elderberry has been considered to be a veritable cure-all, and even better, it tastes good.
Elderberry is the Herbal Immune Boosting Powerhouse
If you are familiar with elderberries, you may have heard that they are an immune-boosting powerhouse. Also called Black Elder (Sambucus nigra L.), the plant holds the reputation as nature’s all-in-one medicine chest with potential to aid in the body’s natural healing process for cold and flu viruses, fever, skin irritations, seasonal allergies, sinus problems and rheumatic discomfort—to name a few. It’s no surprise that people have used Elderberry for centuries and even considered it a supernatural plant that could connect you with other realms…but let’s save that talk for another day…
Elderberry has been said to remove toxins in the body, promote urine flow and bowel movements and reduce inflammation in joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments. It also strengthens cell membranes to keep viruses from entering.
In addition, elderberries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that rid the body of harmful free radicals, which are responsible for many different degenerative diseases.
Elderberry’s Antiviral and Antimicrobial Properties are Clinically Tested
The medical world is slowly recognizing the power of elderberry as a potential complement to traditional medical treatments for viral and bacterial infections. Although there are only a handful of clinical studies about the effects of elderberry extracts, so far the few that have been done look promising.
In 2011 BioMed Central published a study that found elderberry extracts tested in vitro (in petri dishes, remember those from high school?) inhibited the growth of viral and bacterial cells after 48 hours. Another study published by Nutrients in 2016 tested the ability of elderberry compounds to reduce cold virus duration and symptoms in air travelers and found a clinically significant difference compared with a placebo.
While we wait for more studies to prove what we already know (that elderberries are amazing), I can say that personally, since I started using elderberries a few years ago, the number of colds and flu viruses I pick up from my two little ones has plummeted. And unless you have an allergy to elderberries (in which case, please don’t consume them), there are virtually no adverse side effects to using elderberry extracts as an immune supplement.
How to Use Elderberry Tincture for Cold and Flu Prevention
One dropperful of elderberry tincture can be taken once a day throughout cold and flu season as a preventative or 3-4 times a day while symptoms occur. In our house we use our Oma Herbal Elderberry Tincture made with organic vegetable glycerin (not alcohol) to keep the whole family (two adults, two toddlers) healthy.
If you’re wondering what a tincture is, I will briefly explain: we use the maceration method by crushing up the elderberries to release their phenolic compounds (the potent healing properties inside the berries) and let them soak in a glycerin base for at least two weeks to increase the concentration. Tinctures help you to absorb concentrated herb and plant properties faster than drinking tea allows, which is why you can see the effects of tinctures faster.
Our elderberry extract is made with organic vegetable glycerin, making it sweet, tasty, and kid friendly. My 18-month old comes dancing up to me with her tongue out if she spots me with the elderberry tincture bottle in my hand because she wants a drop!
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Before you stock your medicine cabinet with products claiming to be immune supplements like Emergen-C and Airborne (both have questionable effectiveness and many unnatural additives), consider elderberry tincture, an all-natural alternative with proven potency for cold and flu.
Shop our tinctures now!
*Elderberry should be properly prepared for consumption, so if you spot an elderberry tree, before you stuff fistfuls of berries into your/or your child’s mouth, please, stop and consult proper preparation techniques. Also, please do not feed the elderberry plant to your pet cat, dog, hamster, weevil, crocodile, peregrine falcon, macaque, lynx, polar bear, toucan, etc. as it is toxic for many animals!