Not sure about you, but for me it seems recently that everyone I know is under the weather. Their symptoms are congestion, headaches, runny noses, sore throats, coughing, etc. I’m sure you’ve tried to steer clear of these people but, what happens when you can’t? What happens when, even though you take vitamin C and use hand sanitizer, someone sneezes near you? Will the germ still wins? Is there more one can do to help speed up the road to recovery? There might be!

Elderberry is a flowering shrub that grows well in the United States and Canada. It has been used for centuries to help cure those with colds. According to an article in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, research revealed that patients who had exhibited influenza (flu) symptoms found relief from their illness in less than half the time. That sounds pretty great to me! The power to promote healing in elderberry juice comes from Bioflavnoids and other proteins which inhibit the illness from infecting the host.

This berry has a strong power which promotes our immune system and is even being used for treatments beyond the cold and flu. According to Herbwisdom.com it is used in treatment for cancer and HIV patients. As a bonus, this berry can go beyond strengthening our immune system; research also supports that this plant has promise in lowering cholesterol and improving vision!
As you can see this wonderful berry has many strong health benefits and can be helpful with these pesky winter germs.

Disclaimer: You should never eat elderberries in any form other than food grade supplements that can be found on a grocery store shelf. When not prepared properly berries can be poisonous. Buy from a reliable source.

Sources

• “Top 10 Herbs for Winter Health” by Michele Burklund, ND in Nourish & Heal magazine, 2016
• http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-elderberry.html
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ethan_Basch/publication/259696401_An_Evidence-Based_Systematic_Review_of_Elderberry_and_Elderflower_Sambucus_nigra_by_the_Natural_Standard_Research_Collaboration/links/02e7e534e9f25f02b4000000.pdf?inViewer=0&pdfJsDownload=0&origin=publication_detail