Elderberry

Elderberry by Nature's Way.

Elderberry was used by Native Americans in traditional winter season remedies. The berries and flowers are rich in flavonoids, which are believed to provide its therapeutic effects.

Some clinicians think that Elderberries are more effective at shortening colds and flu than Echinacea. Preliminary studies with a certain strain of epidemic flu have shown that Elderberry extract reduced recovery time by half. It also helps bring up phlegm associated with asthma, bronchitis, colds, flu and smoking. A hot infusion works well for treating respiratory infections, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. At the onset of a cold, fever, measles, rash or chickenpox, an infusion will stimulate circulation and cause sweating, cleansing the system of toxins. Externally, Elderberry flowers can soothe cuts and wounds, chilblains, skin eruptions, sunburn, and irritable skin. In traditional European medicine, the juice of this plant is used for treating sciatica and neuralgia. It is now being studied for its effectiveness against other viral infections, including HIV and herpes.