Elderberry-Sambucus nigra– The Healer
One of the most popular, ancient, most used herbal plants is Elderberry! Elderberries, or Sambucus were traditionally used by Native Indians to treat infections, and by Egyptians to improve complexion color and heal burn wounds. Still used widely in folk medicine, elderberries are now being recognized and used in modern day homes. Today it is most often used to supplement and treat cold and flu symptoms and has shown to be very beneficial. We’ve gathered some crucial information for an introduction on elderberry, including its make up, medicinal benefits and warnings.
Black Elderberry
Elderberries stem off several different varieties of a beautiful flowering tree, Sambucus, which belongs to the Axoxaceae family. The most common form of the plant is Sambucus nigra, also referred to as European elderberry, or black elder. It is originally native to Europe and the climate it provides, however has been shown to grow and thrive in various other parts of the world.
Nigra can grow up to 30 feet tall and is known for its fluffy white clusters of flowers in the spring. As temperatures warm into summer the white flowers fade and are replaced with bunches of dark blue/ black berries.
The flowers are edible and can be consumed either raw or cooked (granted you are familiar with the pesticides used on the plant or the environment in which it was grown), and have a light Muscat aroma (similar to the scent of Moscato d’Asti wine). Berries must be cooked before consumption and were often cooked into jams, juices pies and wines to be enjoyed and to treat the flu, sciatica pain, infections, headaches, dental pain, heart pain, nerve pain, as a diuretic, as a laxative and more.
A Few Health Benefits
Nutrients, Nutrients, Nutrients
A low calorie food packed with antioxidants, elderberries are high in Vitamin C, daily fiber, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins!
Vitamin C: There are roughly 3-36 mgs of vitamin C in 100 grams of fruits. This is approximately 60% of adults recommended intake.
Dietary Fiber: Berries contain roughly 7 grams of fiber for ever 100 grams of fresh pre-cooked berries. This is 25% of the recommended daily intake.
Flavonoids: Elderberry contains quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin, important antioxidant flavanols. The flower contains these flavanols as well as the berry, however the flower holds up to 10 times the amount as the berries.
Phenolic Acids: Powerhouse antioxidants which help to reduce damage caused by oxidative stress in the body
Anthocyanin: The component which gives the berries their dark purple/black color and has very strong anti-inflammatory effects.
Shortens the duration of cold and flu
Black elderberry extract and infusion of the flowers has long been shown to decrease the length and the severity of the common cold as well as the flu. One study conducted on 60 people with the flu found that those that took 15 ml of elderberry syrup up to four times a day, improved from the illness in just 2-4 days, where as those that did not take the extract improved in 7-8 days. (1)
A different study with 60 persons found that doses of 175 mg of Elderberry extract lozenges for 48 hours lessened the symptoms of flu, including but not limited to fever, headaches, muscles aches, nasal congestion and sore throat in less than just 24 hours. (2)
It is important to note that a majority of these studies were done using commercially produced elderberry, however this shows tremendous benefits for the consumer, and encouragement for home remedies to improve in the future!
The medicinal and health benefits of elderberry are far and wide. It is most commonly used for its antioxidant power and ability to treat influenza cold and coughs, and as a wonderful heart health booster. Tinctures, gummies, lozenges, kombuchas, lemonades and even wines can be found containing elderberry and even better, the plants are most likely readily available for harvest along your local fence line. Elderberry trees favor lots of sunlight and damp soil. Research should be done on harvesting before doing so, however once one is confident in their distinction abilities, the fun is yours to have with various medicinal recipes!
Cautions
Plants are a wonderful display of Mother Nature’s love and as everything wild, they should be respected. Not every part of the elderberry tree is safe for consumption, and one must be very careful when choosing to harvest and develop medicine on one’s own. Raw berries, the bark and the leaves of the plant are know to be poisonous and cause stomach problems. Under cooked berries and bark will cause upset stomach, causing vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. Leaves contain trace amount of cyanide and should never be included in any recipes, for any reason. The berries however, are very edible once cooked thoroughly. Berries are often cooked into jams, juices pies and wine, while the flowers are often boiled and made into syrups, sugars and drinks.
Elderberry for medicinal purposes is widely available, without any of the trouble of sifting through seeds, leaving your options for consumption wide open! Visit your local grocery story, herbal shop, health foods market or apothecary for some healing elderberry action!