With Elderberry, the proof is in the petri dish

(first published 12/2009)
European elderberry (sambucus nigra) 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, which are more potent antioxidants than vitamin C and other common sources of antioxidants. And studies have demonstrated that elderberry’s anthocyanins have greater bioavailability than many other berry extracts, including blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries. So you could say that elderberry antioxidants give you more bang for your antioxidant buck.

Enhanced immune system

But the elderberry story goes further. Elderberry extract has been shown to increase the production of several cytokines: interferons, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-ά). Cytokines are chemical messengers in our immune system that enhance cellular response to invaders.....

Antiviral vigor

In the 1970s, Algerian virologist Dr Madeleine Mumcuoglu became interested in the elderberry plant because of its long history. In the course of her research, she isolated a potent antiviral compound – Antivirin – that prevents viruses from entering and infecting host cells. The result of Dr. Mumcuoglu’s work is Sambucol®, a standardized extraction of elderberry using proprietary methods. Normal extractions do not appear to contain the Antivirin compound that gives Sambucol® its unique and powerful flu-fighting properties.....(more at link)

http://www.goodtern.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/goodtern_winter.pdf