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Common Name
Elderberry
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Botanical Name
Sambucus nigra
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Part Used
Fruit
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Clinical Summary
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Monograph
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Alcohol
25%
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Dose
40 to 160mL weekly
The poster herb for viral infections. Elderberry is commonly taken for upper respiratory infections including colds, influenza, sinusitis and the symptoms associated with them including aches and pains, coughing, nasal congestion, catarrh and fever. As well as supporting healthy immunity it has been used in herpes virus infections. Historically elderberry was commonly used for pain and inflammation such as in rheumatism.
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Traditional Use
Various parts of the elder plant have been used for thousands of years by Native Americans and people of the Mediterranean basin and surrounding regions. It continues to be commonly gathered as a food and medicine and, according to ethnobotanical research, is currently one of the most used medicinal plants worldwide where the berries are used primarily as antiviral agents for colds, influenza and Herpes virus infection. Elder flowers and berries have long been used in the English countryside for making many homemade drinks and preserves.
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Actions
Immunomodulating, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, diuretic
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Indications
• Colds, and influenza, and the symptoms associated with them including aches and pains, coughing, nasal congestion, catarrh and fever
• Supports healthy immunity
• Herpes virus infections -
Energetics
Cooling, drying, sour
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Use in Pregnancy
Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy is lacking however there is no data suggesting that elderberry would have an adverse effect on pregnancy.
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Contraindications & Cautions
None known for properly prepared elderberry at therapeutic dosages.
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Drug Interactions
Caution with immunosuppressant drugs
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Dietary Information
Vegan friendly. Gluten and dairy free
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Substitutes
Echinacea, Elder Flower, Andrographis, Garlic, Olive Leaves, Thuja