Fact or Fiction? Elderberry Syrup Treats Influenza.

So many people have asked me this very question that I had to break my current series (sneak peak:  Kombucha next week) to answer this question. The answer is yes. In fact, based on the side effect profile, you may prefer elderberry syrup over prescription counterparts. First, remember there is no actual vaccine for the influenza virus. We base our formulation on the strain from the year before.  Many times, this can be effective for the next year. However, the influenza virus wants to “live long and prosper” too, so it mutates to outsmart us.

Elderberry syrup does not rely on viral mutation to effectively relieve symptoms. Instead, elderberries have this magical protein called hemagglutinin. This protein actually stops the virus from making copies by breaking through its cell wall defenses. If taken before exposure, elderberry syrup can defeat the infection. If elderberries are taken after exposure or the beginnings of infection, it can reduce the duration of influenza symptoms. This unique protein is thought to also prevent or shorten the duration of herpes outbreaks, decrease pain and inflammation, and reduce symptoms of upper respiratory infections.

The results of some studies show that elderberries do indeed have significant benefits against cold and influenza symptoms.
In one international study placebo-controlled, 93.3% of the people taking an elderberry preparation reported significant improvement in influenza symptoms within 2 days of starting it, compared with the 6 days it took for the placebo group to see improvement. (Keep in mind, many influenza prescriptions report similar results.)

In a Norwegian study, researchers gave either a placebo syrup or elderberry syrup to patients who reported having flu-like symptoms for less than 48 hours. On average, the patients who received the elderberry syrup saw relief of symptoms 4 days earlier than the group that received the placebo syrup. As an added benefit, the patients in the elderberry syrup group reported taking significantly fewer over-the-counter medications for symptom relief. Researchers also have found that elderberry syrup users have higher levels of antibodies against the influenza virus, which supports that the berry not only treats flu symptoms, it may also be able to prevent influenza infection.

The next logical question is how do I locate good elderberry syrup and what is the effective dose. For adult influenza sufferers, one tablespoon of elderberry juice-containing syrup can been taken four times daily for 3-5 days. Or, lozenges that contain 175 mg of elderberry extract has been taken four times daily for 3-5 days.  In children, the same dose taken twice daily has been found to be effective. Look for a high quality product with few additional ingredients and a low amount of sweetener added.  Elderberries should be the principle ingredient.

If  the leaves, stems, unripened fruit, or uncooked fruit are consumed in excess, it may cause nausea, vomiting, or severe diarrhea. Also, autoimmune disease sufferers should use caution (think MS, SLE, RA, etc), because elderberries may cause the immune system to become more active, which could increase the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, my advice is to consult your provider first before trying this remedy.

As always, please comment with questions, concerns, or other topics that you would like me to discuss!  Next week, we will talk Kombucha!