Elderberry
Sambucus nigra
also known as Black elder, European elder, Sambucus
Strong (traditional + immune)
A dark berry rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, traditionally used to reduce duration and severity of influenza and support viral immunity.
- May reduce duration and severity of influenza
- Provides anthocyanin antioxidants
- Supports immune response to viral infection
- Inhibits viral entry into cells (in vitro)
- Long use in European folk medicine
- Hippocrates called the elder his medicine chest
Active in Anthocyanins, Flavonoids, Cyanogenic glycosides (in raw plant), Lectins.
Raw berries, leaves, bark, and seeds are toxic — must be cooked
Use caution with autoimmune conditions
Use caution with immunosuppressants
May lower blood sugar — caution with diabetes medication
Insufficient data in pregnancy — avoid
Related literature · not reviewed for these claims
These papers were imported by topic. They may concern plants, laboratory work, or different preparations. Inclusion here does not establish a human health benefit or support the claims above. How to read our sources →
- Evaluation of Nutraceutical Properties of Fruits Derived from Some Wild-Growing Plant Species (Sambucus nigra L., Rubia tinctorum L., Phytolacca americana L. and Sambucus ebulus L.).
- Evaluation of the Effects of an Immune-Boosting Food Supplement on the Severity and Frequency of Pediatric Respiratory Tract Infections: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
- Encapsulation of Plant Extracts in a Psyllium/Starch Matrix: Synthesis and Functional Properties.
- Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.): an ethnopharmacological, phytochemical and biological review for a prospective nutraceutical plant.
- Comparison of the phenolic and antioxidant potential of five European herbal remedies by effect-directed analysis using offline two-dimensional liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.
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