What Are the Health Benefits of Black Elderberry?
Does Black Elderberry Support Immune System?
Is Black Elderberry Safe for Everyone?
What is the Best Black Elderberry Product?
What is the Recommended Dosage for Black Elderberry?
Why Black Elderberry Lollipops?
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What Are the Health Benefits of Black Elderberry?
Black elderberry (sambucus nigra) is one of the traditional forms of herbal medicine that have been historically used to relieve cold and flu symptoms such as coughs, sore throat and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract(1). Because of black elderberry’s potential immune health benefits, it has become a very popular herbal ingredient, in recent years. Below are a few questions you might ask before using black elderberry.
Does Black Elderberry Support Immune System?
The berries and flowers from the elderberry plant are packed with flavonoids, providing antioxidant properties which may aid in preventing damage to body’s cells. In fact, black elderberry outranks blueberry, cranberry, goji berry, and blackberry in terms of total flavonol content. There have also been reports on its anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating and anti-depressant properties(2). However, more studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of its properties and possible beneficial effects in humans.
Is Black Elderberry Safe for Everyone?
Black elderberry appears to be safe when used properly and for short periods of time (less than 5 days). There have not been any adverse events and side effects reported in clinical trials of European elder fruit extracts. However, nausea, vomiting, weakness and abdominal cramps were reported after consumption of a juice made from elder fruit, leaf and branches .
The American Herbal Products Association’s rates black elderberry’s safety/interaction class, 1A (the highest level).
Like any other herbal medicine, you need to consider the potential risks and benefits before consumption. Talk to your health professional before consuming, especially if you have any health concerns. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult a health care practitioner prior to use. If you are using elderberry for cold and flu symptoms and the symptoms persist or worsen, you should consult a health care practitioner.
What is the Best Elderberry Product?
Elderberry products come in a variety of formats including elderberry syrups (e.g. Sambucol® elderberry syrup), gummies (e.g. Nature’s Way® sambucus gummies), capsules, tablets, drink mixes and elderberrylollipops (Nature Soothie® Immune Soothie lollipop).
Children and adults have been benefiting from black elderberry in a variety of dosage forms, but what is the best product for you? When searching for the right dosage form, you may want to choose a form that you or your child would want to consume. For example, children can be reluctant to consume syrups, but they might be more inclined to consume a product if offered as gummies or lollipops.
What Is the Recommended Dosage For Black Elderberry?
When it comes to herbal dosing, the calculation for dosage can get complicated, so you may want to read the supplement facts label to better understand the product’s ingredients and dosage. For example, if you are choosing an elderberry product for your 6 year old child, the suggested dosage is 325–4500 mg per day: see the table below for dosing information. (e.g. Nature Soothie® elderberry lollipop gives you 90mg with extract ratio 36:1 per serving, that translates into 3200 mg elderberry per lollipop. This means that one Nature Soothie lollipop would suffice.
Table: Dosing information for ripe fruit (berry). Preparations: dry, powder, non-standardized extracts (extract dry, tincture, fluid extract, infusion, decoction)
Innovative Delivery Formats for Black Elderberry Products
Why Elderberry Lollipop?
If your child is reluctant to take elderberry syrups, you might want to try a new delivery dosage form such as elderberry lollipops by Nature Soothie®. These all-natural honey lollipops are easy delivery formats for herbal supplements such as organic elderberry or sambucus.
Immune Soothie — elderberry lollipop, dosage quantity is around 90 mg of the standardized extract (ratio of 36:1). This translates into 3.2 g (3200 mg) per serving. According to the product’s supplement facts label, suggested use is one lollipop a day as needed, and no more than three lollipops per day for children ages 4 and up .
Here are the other ingredients found in Nature Soothie® — Immune Soothie elderberry lollipops:
- Standardized Black Elderberry (Sambucus Nigra) Fruit Extract: 90mg (extract ratio 36:1)
- German Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita) Flower Extract: 90 mg
- Total Sugars (4 g): Organic (Tapioca Syrup, Raw Cane Sugar and Honey)
- Calories: 25
Sources/Citations
(1)Godfrey and Saunders 2010; Winston and Kuhn 2008; Barnes et al. 2007; Bone 2003; Hoffman 2003; WHO 2002; Tillotson 2001; Shook 1992; BHP 1983; Grieve 1931
(2)Antioxidant:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996905000943; Anti-Diabetic: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10613759/;Anti-inflammatory and Immune Modulating: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25327310/; Anti-depressant:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25491608/
(3)Murkovic et al. 2004; Zakay-rones et al. 1994, 2004
(4)MMWR 1984
(5)Gardner Z, McGuffin M, editors. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Second Edition. Boca Raton (FL): Taylor and Francis Group; 2013
(6)Giacoia et al. 2008; EMEA/CHMP 2006
(7)Children and adolescent doses were calculated as a proportion of the adult dose (JC 2008). The use of Sambucus spp. in children and adolescents is supported by the following references: McIntyre 2005; Bove 2001; Gladstar 1999. 2 Adult dose supported by the following references: Winston and Kuhn 2008; Tillotson 2001; Fyfe 1903. 3 Adult dose supported by the following reference: Winston and Kuhn 2008
Disclosures: Author, Sara Zolfaghari, holds a Master of Science in pharmaceutical economics and outcomes. She is currently the founder/CEO of Nature Soothie.