Black Elderberry has many healing properties and has been used medicinally by societies of various cultures for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found that early people used elderberry branches to bury their dead relatives, and Native Americans used its fruits, leaves and flowers to ward off viral infections. It was also called the “big medicine chest” by the father of medicine.
History of Elderberry Applications
Hippocrates, born in 460 BC and considered by many to be the “father of medicine,” was particularly fond of elderberries, calling them “the great medicine chest.”
The Roman naturalist and philosopher “Pliny the Elder” (Pliny the Elder), who died in 79 AD, pointed out many times in his famous book “Naturalis Historia” that elderberry can be used as food, medicine and hair dye . This encyclopedic work, consisting of 37 volumes, covered all known knowledge of nature at the time, and remained the authoritative source of science until the Middle Ages.
Dioscorides, a Greek physician and pharmacologist born in AD 40, recommended a wine made from elderberry root to treat snake venom. His book “De Materia Medica” (De Materia Medica) was the most important pharmacological text for 16 centuries.
Elderberry seeds found in Neolithic dwellings in Switzerland show that elderberries were being cultivated in Europe as early as around 2000 BC.
In ancient cultures, elderberry was known as a powerful antiviral. Current scientific research shows that elderberry extract can lower cholesterol levels and effectively lower blood pressure.
Western Elderberry
Black Elderberry, also known as Sambucus nigra, is an elderberry species commonly used by ancient humans for medical treatment; of course, other species also have medicinal value. Black elderberry is a member of the saffron family and looks like a shrub or small tree as tall as 30 feet. Elderberry is suitable for growing in fertile, moist, well-drained soil, and likes a semi-shade to full sun environment.
Other species are: blue elderberry (Sambucus caerulea), European dwarf elderberry (Sambucus ebulus), and red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa).
The elderberry plant is a broad-leaved shrub with a knotted stem that is filled with a white cork pith. Seedlings of elderberry have smooth green bark, which turns brown as the tree ages, ending with circular bumps and vertical grooves. The flowers of elderberry are in clusters, and the color is white, cream, etc.; when the fruit is ripe, it is black, purple blue, etc., and it is also in clusters; the leaves are green, dark purple, etc., and the smell is unpleasant. bug effect.
Identification of Elderberry and Precautions
People sometimes mistake cress for elderberry, and cress is highly poisonous. Unlike elderberries, cress is a herbaceous plant without bark. Cress has a hollow main stem, while elderberry has a soft pith inside. Cress stems often have purple stripes or spots, and purple nodes, and older plants may be completely purple. If you want to eat elderberry, be careful not to eat cress as elderberry.
Parts of fresh elderberry plants are slightly poisonous, so dry or boil them before use. Elderberry leaves and bark are used externally to treat bruises, sprains, and wounds; the fruit (elderberry), flowers, and leaves are used medicinally and cooked or completely dried (or dried) before consumption. Tinctures of elderberry can be taken for protection against colds and flu, or at the onset of symptoms.
Elderberry is safe for children to use. To boost immunity, reduce cold and flu symptoms, and shorten the duration of illness, take elderberry tincture or syrup. Cooked fresh elderberries can be made into syrups and liqueurs.
Black elderberry has become very popular in recent years due to its ability to boost the immune system, shorten the duration of colds and flus, and reduce the side effects of colds and flus. Fortunately, there are also multiple studies explaining the mechanism of elderberry’s “magic” effect.
A study published in the Journal of International Medical Research looked at the efficacy of elderberry syrup against influenza A and B. In the study, all 60 participants experienced flu symptoms (such as fatigue, body aches, nasal congestion, etc.) for less than 48 hours. People in the test group were given either 15ml of elderberry syrup or a (no drug) placebo four times a day for five days. The results showed that those who took the elderberry syrup recovered 4 days earlier than those who took the placebo.
Another study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, looked at how a group of people fared during flu outbreaks. The study documented people’s fevers, how they felt about symptoms, and how well they recovered. The results showed that nearly 90% of people who took elderberry medicine fully recovered within 2 to 3 days, while those who took placebo took at least 6 days to recover.
Elderberry for the Common Cold
A 2014 study published in the Journal Nutrients looked at the severity of cold symptoms in air travelers. The study tested 312 economy class passengers traveling overseas from Australia. Participants took either elderberry extract or a placebo, starting 10 days before departure and continuing for five days after arriving at their destination. The research team gave each participant a notebook and asked them to record whether they had a cold, how long it lasted and what symptoms they had.
The study found that more people who took the placebo had a cold than those who took the elderberry supplement. In addition, during that time period, the former group had colds that lasted much longer and had more cold symptoms than those in the latter group. The researchers therefore concluded that supplemental use of elderberry extract during air travel can significantly shorten the duration of colds and reduce cold symptoms.
In 2020, an article published in Advances in Integrative Medicine analyzed five elderberry studies and concluded that if elderberry supplements were taken within the first 48 hours of symptoms, It can reduce fever, headache, race and runny nose symptoms caused by colds and flu, and shorten the duration of illness.
Elderberries also contain anthocyanins, pigments with antioxidant properties that give the berries their deep color. Many studies have shown that anthocyanins have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective effects, help eye health, and increase collagen.
Laboratory tests have found that anthocyanins can inhibit neuraminidase (also known as sialidase), which is a component in viruses that allows viruses to replicate. For example, the antiviral drug oseltamivir, which is also a neuraminidase inhibitor, reduces flu symptoms through the same mechanism of action. The trade name of oseltamivir is Tamiflu.
There is evidence that high levels of free radicals are at the root of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, arteriosclerosis, diabetes and cancer. Free radicals, also known as free radicals, are an inflammatory state that leads to oxidative stress; oxidative stress refers to a state of imbalance between oxidation and anti-oxidation in the body.
Studies have also found that elderberry can affect cytokines. Cytokines, an important part of the body’s immune system, are specialized types of molecules that signal the immune system to increase or decrease the intensity of its response. When the body faces a serious threat from invaders, we want the immune system to respond more aggressively, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (also known as pro-inflammatory cytokines) can regulate this response.
However, when the danger has passed, we hope that the anti-inflammatory cytokines will signal the immune system to reduce the intensity of the response. That’s because a constant overload of the immune system can lead to chronic inflammation, which can lead to problems like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.
The body needs cytokines to regulate the immune system’s response, so keeping them functioning properly is important for overall health. Research has shown that black elderberry extract increases and modulates cytokine levels in the body’s immune system. A study published in the European Cytokine Network evaluated the effects of black elderberry on cytokines. The researchers found that black elderberry extract significantly increased the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which in turn accelerated the immune response.
epilogue
Traditional cultures have recognized elderberry as a valuable plant for nutritional and medicinal purposes, and now science has elucidated its mechanism of action. Black elderberry is so ubiquitous these days that you can buy syrups or gummies containing it at almost any drug or health food store, as well as online. If you are adventurous and want to pick elderberries yourself, you must have superb recognition skills; in addition, whether it is fruit, leaves, or flowers, you must cook them before eating.
It’s best to find a good herbal medicine handbook to learn how to identify elderberries and how to prepare them. Learning about plants and herbs is always useful and helps to rediscover this beautiful planet we call home.
For the English report, please see the English “Epoch Times”:Black Elderberry to Boost Immunity This Winter。
Editor in charge: Li Fan