While this blog's subtitle IS "Recipes for Life", don't be fooled-This isn't a cooking blog. While my first post may have alluded to it being so, this is a wellness or lifestyle blog, specifically mine, which I wish to share with everyone. That being said, I thought I would stay on the "fighting the flu" theme and talk about Elderberries. Elderberries have been used for centuries, mainly among First Nations peoples and in Europe -and no, not as that fantastic insult in Monty Python's Holy Grail, but as a cure-all for colds and flu bugs.
Sambucus Nigra is the scientific name for the common elder, though nothing about this shrub is common. The flowers have been used to make cordials, soft drinks, and syrup; while the berries have been used to make jams, wines, and most importantly, an extract for medicinal use.
Cough medicines for children were recently pulled off the market and for good reason. In most cases, medicines that we think are a cure are actually symptom depressants, that is, they hinder your own immune system by deflating the immune response. Not only that, their chemical make-up can be dangerous for children and overdoses were frequent. Enter Elderberry syrup. In a double-blind placebo controlled study done at the University of Oslo in Norway, Researcher Erling Thom found that people within the Elderberry Extract group had their symptoms markedly improved by day 3 and virtually gone by day 4, as opposed to the placebo group that did not see noticeable improvement until day 7 and complete recovery until day 8 or later. Most importantly the only "side effect" noted was that one person in the elderberry group disliked the taste (It is a bit sickly sweet). It is noted to be safe for children and infants alike, yay!
Now that we have the medi-speak out of the way-here's my take.
It works.
I use it on my family religiously. For this most recent illness brought home by my oldest, I gave Sambucus brand (by Nature's way-not trying to plug, but I know someone will ask, plus there are some elder extracts out there that don't have the flavonoid content to get you better) but Sambucol is a reputable one as well. My son became ill Wednesday evening, stayed home Thursday, felt much better by Friday, and was healed by Saturday-though he is still a bit hoarse. My daughter started developing symptoms on Saturday and I gave both her and my middle boy (as a precaution) the extract and my daughter is almost fully recovered and my two year old son hasn't become ill yet. If your kids don't like the overpowering sweetness (or you don't) throw it in a small cup of water or juice and, cheers!
A rather glowing testimonial and totally true. Cross my heart.
Either of these extracts can most likely be found at your local co-op and maybe your local grocery store, but in case you are having a hard time locating one, I will include a link on my sidebar to Amazon where you can purchase them online or at the very least know what to look for.
Sambucus Nigra is the scientific name for the common elder, though nothing about this shrub is common. The flowers have been used to make cordials, soft drinks, and syrup; while the berries have been used to make jams, wines, and most importantly, an extract for medicinal use.
Cough medicines for children were recently pulled off the market and for good reason. In most cases, medicines that we think are a cure are actually symptom depressants, that is, they hinder your own immune system by deflating the immune response. Not only that, their chemical make-up can be dangerous for children and overdoses were frequent. Enter Elderberry syrup. In a double-blind placebo controlled study done at the University of Oslo in Norway, Researcher Erling Thom found that people within the Elderberry Extract group had their symptoms markedly improved by day 3 and virtually gone by day 4, as opposed to the placebo group that did not see noticeable improvement until day 7 and complete recovery until day 8 or later. Most importantly the only "side effect" noted was that one person in the elderberry group disliked the taste (It is a bit sickly sweet). It is noted to be safe for children and infants alike, yay!
Now that we have the medi-speak out of the way-here's my take.
It works.
I use it on my family religiously. For this most recent illness brought home by my oldest, I gave Sambucus brand (by Nature's way-not trying to plug, but I know someone will ask, plus there are some elder extracts out there that don't have the flavonoid content to get you better) but Sambucol is a reputable one as well. My son became ill Wednesday evening, stayed home Thursday, felt much better by Friday, and was healed by Saturday-though he is still a bit hoarse. My daughter started developing symptoms on Saturday and I gave both her and my middle boy (as a precaution) the extract and my daughter is almost fully recovered and my two year old son hasn't become ill yet. If your kids don't like the overpowering sweetness (or you don't) throw it in a small cup of water or juice and, cheers!
A rather glowing testimonial and totally true. Cross my heart.
Either of these extracts can most likely be found at your local co-op and maybe your local grocery store, but in case you are having a hard time locating one, I will include a link on my sidebar to Amazon where you can purchase them online or at the very least know what to look for.
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