Herbal medicine fascinates me. I have always been interested in helping myself and others gain better health. I am intrigued by the way God made plants with qualities that can support a body during health or illness. I have carefully studied the plant commonly called elderberry. Elder is an herb with a good safety record that is used for a variety of conditions, especially those having to do with influenza and upper respiratory infections.

Personal Story

A child sneezed right in my face! I work in a day school with four-year-old children. I was helping a student put on his coat when he sneezed without any warning. This had not a single occurrence. The class had several students out sick, and many children came to school with colds. I knew I needed to do something to boost my immune system. I decided to make elderberry syrup that night. I had already purchased dried elderberries and I had an herbal recipe I had found from Learning Herbs. I decided to act immediately and lead me and my family to better health.

I chose elder because it is an herb with a good safety record. Elderberry has no side effects and no reported drug interactions. There are minimal contraindications, warnings and precautions, effects on ability to drive or use machinery, adverse reactions, and interactions. The main caution is in consuming the fresh berries in large amounts, due to the cyanogenic glycosides in them. Per Botanical Safety Handbook, it is Class 1, which means it is a herb that a person can safely consume with proper use.

Traditional Therapeutic Uses of Elderberry

• Has been used to prevent and treat upper respiratory infections, such as bronchitis, sinusitis, and colds.
• Has been taken for fevers which are low to medium temperatures, especially in lung-based viruses.
• Elder flower has been used for coughs, per folk medicine. It has also been used for hay fever.
• Elder flower has been taken for catarrhal deafness.
• Elderberry has been used for sore throat, fever, and nasal congestion.
• Elder has been taken for viruses such as HIV and herpes simplex, because it stimulates immune function.
• Elder has been used for sinusitis, influenza, asthma, or bronchitis. During a clinical trial, elderberry syrup cured 90% of infections of flu within 72 hours and it shortened the length of symptoms by four days.
• Elder fruit and flowers have been used as a laxative.
• Per folk medicine, it has been taken for fluid retention and to help inflammation and swelling,
• Has been used in diabetes to increase glucose uptake from the blood to the tissues.
• The leaf has been used externally for wounds that are slow to heal, edematous, or ulcerated with or without fungal or bacterial involvement. The leaf can also be a help for bruises and sprains. Elder can be used to reduce inflammation and pain in eczema and other disorders of the skin.

Isn’t it amazing that a plant can support the human body in all these ways?!

How have you used elderberry? Please encourage others by writing in the comment section.