The first time I ever heard of elderberries was from watching TV. While Monty Python’s quote is easy to remember, I also remember the pioneer shows where “good, old fashioned” remedies included elderberry wine, syrup and tincture. I just assumed it was the alcoholic properties of the wine that did the “job” in reducing cold symptoms, but a year ago my wife joined the elderberry team. She made us some tincture, and insisted I have some every time I started the cold season sniffle. At first, I thought she was just being silly, but when I made it through the cold season without getting sick, I thought maybe there was something to my mad-scientist, real food ninja wife’s elderberry magic. Simply put, if you want to fight a cold this season, look no further than the old fashioned remedy of elderberries.
The Benefits
Below are a few of the many benefits that elderberries can give you through this cold season: (source: University of Maryland Medical Center) Those are some serious benefits and thus the age old remedy actually makes sense.
Elderberry Solutions
What are some ways to take elderberries?
Considerations
As always, consult with a qualified health care provider before trying remedies. Do not eat an elderberry without first cooking it. While the remedies used widely in Europe and in the homes of many real foodies for cold and flu treatments, elderberry is not recognized by the FDA to manage flu conditions.
Sources For More Information:
Real Food and Health Digital Magazine (kindle or pdf) The November issue contains a recipe for elderberry syrup along with additional information (Disclosure: my wife is the editor for the magazine and wrote the article on elderberry syrup) LiveStrong.com – Elderberry Section A great selection of articles on elderberries. Mountain Rose Herbs A place to order elderberries in bulk if you do not have a local health food store that carries them. Deep Roots At Home Elderberry Tincture A good tincture recipe is hard to come by, but Jacqueline’s recipe is pretty good. It made my wife’s seal of approval.
