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Elderberries... an immune powerhouse!

Well, it looks like it is already September… which means that fall is on its way! That also means that cold and flu season are close at hand as well… but that’s ok! I feel like I have collected a few tricks and tips to stay healthy through the toughest of cold and flu seasons. There are actually many ways to boost our immune systems as fall and winter approach, but I have a couple that I would consider my favourites.



Elderberries are among my absolute top choices for ways to stay healthy. Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) are frequently considered one of world’s most healing plants[1]. There are about 30 types of elder plants and trees around the world. The European version is the one most closely tied to your health and healing. I first learned about elderberries in my herbal medicine class in nutrition school, where we were told that it could be made into anything from pie to jam to a medicated herbal syrup (infused syrups are actually one of the most effective and common ways to prepare this berry).


The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may help boost your immune system. They could also help tame inflammation, lessen stress and help protect your heart as well. Elderflowers make a delicious tea, whereas elderberries are rich in anthocyanidins that combine to give elderberry juice an intense blue-purple coloration that turns reddish on dilution with water, and are commonly infused into syrups.


Some experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms… and I am not what I would consider an expert, but I DO believe very strongly in the power that this plant has to prevent sickness! Besides helping with infections that affect how you breathe, it has also been used successfully as a treatment for anything from constipation, to joint and muscle pain, to headaches, fever and stress, to kidney problems, to epilepsy, even HIV and AIDS!


A word of caution though… although the cooked berries (pulp and skin) of most species of Sambucus are edible, the uncooked berries and other parts of plants from this genus are poisonous. Leaves, twigs, branches, seeds, roots, flowers, and berries of Sambucus plants produce cyanogenic glycosides, which have toxic properties. Ingesting a sufficient quantity of cyanogenic glycosides from berry juice, flower tea, or beverages made from fresh leaves, branches, and fruit has been shown to cause illness, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and weakness[2].


The added bonus to this wonderful plant is that the berries taste absolutely divine! Super tart and sweet, crisp and crunchy, and overall just really yummy. Never eat them raw, as stated in the warning here, but when you simmer them down into this recipe, they are incredibly healing and nourishing. I like using raw buckwheat honey the best for this recipe, but any raw honey will do the trick nicely. Add as many cloves as you want, just beware – they do add a bit of heat to this recipe! Even though the sweetness of the honey balances it out, it is very possible to overdo it (trust me, I speak from experience).


Take 1 to 2 teaspoons every day for prevention and to help support your body’s immune system through the whole fall and winter season… and enjoy! This is one of the yummiest ways to stay healthy.


Immune Stimulating Elderberry Syrup:

· 1 cup dried elderberries

· 6 cups water

· ¼-oz. gingerroot

· Handful of cloves

· 1½ cups raw honey


1) Bring the berries and water to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes

2) Strain the berries and return the liquid to the heat. Add ¼-oz. grated gingerroot and a handful of cloves, and simmer gently for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until 2 to 3 cups of liquid remains

3) Remove the liquid from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then stir in 1½ cups of raw honey

4) Bottle, label and refrigerate. Take 2 tsp. every 3 hours at the first sign of a virus invasion




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