Unfortunately, I didn't learn about Elderberries in school. I'll bet you didn't either.
This blog isn't a class on Elderberries - I'm not a horticulturist or a botanist (although maybe that will change one day), but I would like to share what I've learned with you so that you can make an informed decision about how to treat yourself this cold and flu season... either naturally or with pharmaceuticals... the choice is yours to make.
I'll admit that I'm biased. I personally prefer to avoid RX or even over-the-counter medications as much as possible. There have been too many cases of feeling just as bad or worse than I before I took a medication from the side effects from medication. In the several years that I have been treating myself with natural products (herbs and oils, mostly), I have not suffered from any side effects. No headaches, no sweats, no shakiness, no drowsiness, no hypertension, no irritability, etc... I could go on and on like any of the many RX commercials that they play these days, with heart attacks and stroke and death and thoughts of suicide from a pill that is supposed to make your arms less itchy or your eyes less dry. Since I avoid medications with such fervor, I have to be constantly learning and searching and cross referencing and studying to find natural replacements for what I would have normally taken pills for.
It turns out that most of the herbal and natural remedies that I have tried have worked just as well, if not better, than their RX counterpart. My husband and I healed his ulcer - not with 5 different kinds of antibiotics (because the bacteria that cause ulcers have grown to be antibiotic resistant), but with herbs like licorice root and cat's claw and slippery elm. I have chased off illness overnight with Elderberry syrup or tincture.
Studies have been done that have compared Elderberry Syrup (sambucus) to Tamiflu. It turns out that Tamiflu has nothing on mother nature! The flu stuck around with placebo patients for around 6 days. Tamiful shortened the duration to 4.5-5 days... but Elderberry Syrup??? How about taking it down to 2.5-3 days! Tamiflu is over $100. Elderberry syrup can be purchased in the health food stores and pharmacies for around $16.00 per 4oz. I make my own Elderberry syrup and tincture from organic Elderberries (I will be growing my own starting next season - I have the little tiny baby bushes in my living room chillin' with me for the winter), raw organic Ohio honey, ginger and cinnamon.
I'll be selling the tincture on Etsy starting in about a week and a half. I have a beautiful batch that's been getting drunk on 100 proof vodka for about 5 weeks now. This tincture can be used as a preventative or as a treatment for cold and flu. Taking Elderberry syrup or tincture every day helps to strengthen your immune system so that your body can take care of itself.
Interesting fact: Additional studies on Elderberry (sambucus) have shown it to be effective against Ebola!! Heck - maybe it dissolves zombies, too!
More about the Elderberry:
*It's an antioxidant
*It's antibacterial
*It's antiviral
*Reduces swelling in mucus membranes (this is a biggie for fighting/reducing symptoms of colds or the flu)
*Contains Vitamins A, B and C as well as amino acids
*Very effective against sinus infections
Overall, I consider Elderberry to be the all purpose illness conqueror - there's not much this little berry can't do!
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