Elderberry Effective
Against Colds and Flu

Elderberry is not only a nutritional powerhouse but if you have a black elder tree which the berries come from on your property, it will bring you good luck according to English myth from the middle ages. The Gypsies of the European continent have traditionally and successfully used the elderberry as a popular remedy for colds and flu.

The folks in the middle ages had no science or large research universities but still knew what foods, herbs and natural compounds helped keep them healthy. Now science has found that this fruit contains compounds that can stop cold and flu in it’s tracks. And yet you do not find the fruits compounds in any drug store for anything let alone colds and flu.
Drunk as a hot tea, it promotes sweating and helps soothe upper respiratory infections. The fruit has good levels of Vitamin A, B and C. Eating the fruit of the plant itself is by far the most effective in curing the cold and flu but if you do not have the plant there is black elder tree fruit extracts that will also do the job quite nicely.

The first study on this powerful fruit was in 1990. Subjects had recently contracted the Type B strain of influenza. 93% of the people who were given the elderberry extract recovered from their symptoms in just two days. This compares with six days in the placebo group. The A and B strains are the most common and it has been found that the major flu drugs as well as the vaccines are virtually ineffective in tests.

University of Oslo in Norway, in a 2002 study, found similar results with people infected with the Type A strain—90% of the group that got the real herbal extract recovered in two to three days; the placebo group suffered twice as long. Also in 2002 at a medical conference Dr Erling Thom reported that it is the flavonoids and the anti inflammatory anthocyanins that do the job.
Dr Madeleine Mumcuoglu an Israeli scientist has been given the credit for first discovering the mechanism of action of the fruit of the black elder tree on colds and flu. Without getting into a long complicated science definition, she has found that if one can stop the virus from entering the cell the disease is automatically defeated. The black elder fruits high concentration of bioflavonoid seems to do exactly that.

According to Humbart Santillo, Master Heboligist. in his book Natural Healing With Herbs, he states, ”In large doses elderberry can act as a purgative and diuretic. Elder is used for urinary complaints, edema and rheumatic problems. The tea of the flowers is used as a diaphoretic to break fevers…Elder flowers are used in salves for skin disease”

Even though natural cures are more difficult in our society they seem to work the best even over heavily promoted drugs. Natural cures (read plants) in total have fewer side effects than just one drug from the pharmaceutical industry. The force that created this universe millions of years ago provided in our environment everything the body needs to maintain health for a 150 years or longer. The force did not provide drugs. If it ain't natural think thrice before using.

In accordance with the FDA these products are not intended to treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any diseases. Information on this site is given for educational purposes only and is not to replace the advice of your health care professional.

Elderberry To Antioxidant Foods