Herbs for the flu -- #1 Elderberry extract

Elderberry (sambucus nigra)
European elderberry has been used medicinally for thousands of years, for everything from colds and the flu to sprains and rheumatism. It turns out there is good reason for this: the chemicals that give elderberries their purple color contain a class of compounds called anthocyanins. They are more potent antioxidants than vitamin C and other common sources. (1) (3) And studies have shown them to be more bio-available than many other berry extracts, including blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. (2)(4)(5)

Research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of elderberry against various strains of flu (1)(6), significantly shortening the duration of the flu with as many as 90% of victims cured within 3 days. It also has demonstrated effectiveness against the H5N1 avian flu virus in laboratory testing. (1)

Effects on the immune system

Elderberry extract has demonstrated that it increases cytokine production, including:
§ interferons
§ interleukins 6, 8 and 10
§ tumor necrosis factor (tnf-ά) (1)


Extracting anthocyanins
Caution: Red elderberry is toxic and should not be used, and the seeds of all elderberries may be toxic. Only fully ripened, dark blue and black elderberries with seeds removed or cooked are safe to use. The clinical tests cited above used European, not American, elderberry.


Elderberry anthocyanins include 6 compounds: cyanadin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin, petunidin, pelargonidin.

Anthocyanins are alcohols; they are soluble in water and miscible (infinitely soluble) in alcohol, but insoluble in oil. (6) Therefore elderberry anthocyanins can be extracted in alcohol-based tinctures, elderberry wine, or by decoction or infusion of the berries. Some herbalists note that elderberry leaves behind a messy residue that is hard to clean up after.

For those of us who don’t have elderberry growing in our back yards, or are too busy to make our own medicine, or have an immediate need, a natural preparation of elderberry extract, Sambucol, was approved for use in the U.S. several years ago and is available in many health food stores. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Sambucol against a range flu strains (8) (9) (10), including H3N2, H1N1, type B/Panama 45/90, B/Yamagata 16/88, and others. (10)


Please note that I am not a medical professional and this article is for informational purposes only. This is not intended to substitute for medical advice. Many medicinal herbs can be toxic in specific circumstances and can interact with prescribed pharmaceuticals. Therefore, before taking herbs for medicinal purposes, please consult with your doctor if you are already on prescription drugs, if you are pregnant, or if you develop symptoms of the flu or some other ailment. _____________________________________________________________________________
References

(1) URL at http://www.blackelderberry.info/index.cfm?id=374

(2) Bioavailability of anthocyanidin-3-glycosides following consumption of elderberry extract and blackcurrant juice.Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2004 May;42(5):293-300.

(3) Anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties of a novel anthocyanin-rich berry extract formula.Biochemistry (Mosc). 2004 Jan;69(1):75-80, 1 p preceding 75.

(4) Absorption and metabolism of anthocyanins in elderly women after consumption of elderberry or blueberry. J Nutr. 2002 Jul;132(7):1865-71.

(5) Bioavailablility of elderberry anthocyanins.Mech Ageing Dev. 2002 Apr 30;123(8):997-1006.

(6) Elderberry Research studyRandomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections.J Int Med Res. 2004 Mar-Apr;32(2):132-40.

(7) Petition to the National Organic Standards Board and the National Organic Program for the
Addition of Elderberry Juice to the National List Section §205.606 URL at: http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:EfnMF1LTcswJ:www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile%3FdDocName3DSTELPRDC5057469+anthocyanin+msds+elderberry&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

(8) The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines.Eur Cytokine Netw. 2001 Apr-Jun;12(2):290-6.

(9) Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus nigra L.) during an outbreak of influenza B Panama.J Altern Complement Med. 1995 Winter;1(4):361-9.

(10) The effect of herbal remedies on the production of human inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Barak, Vivian; Birkenfeld, Shlomo; Halperin, Tal; Kalickman, Inna. URL at http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14035424