Using Elderberry for Colds and Flus

Elderberry for Colds and Flus

Elderberry is starting to gain more and more recognition as a powerful supplement for battling colds and flus. Elderberry is mainly identified as providing natural support for your immune system. Elderberry contains concentrated quantities of fruit acids, vitamin C, flavonoids, and anthocyanic pigments. It’s also a fantastic resource for vitamins A and B, and could even have antiviral properties. Elderberry is just a common shrubby tree that develops flowers that are white at the beginning of summertime. After the flowers bloom, the tree produces its berries that ripen once fall comes.

How Elderberry Helps Against the Cold and Flu

Elderberry stops viruses from being able to spread by preventing them from penetrating the walls of cells in the first place. They’re safe for kids when cooked because elderberry is nontoxic.

The hot tea in the juice and flowers in the berries encourages perspiration, and is soothing for upper-respiratory infections. Many herbalists regard the tea itself as anti rheumatic, a laxative, and detoxifying.

Additionally, elderberry’s use for a flu treatment dates back to early Roman times. Usually, taking elderberry will help one’s influenza symptoms to fade within three days. Elderberry is proven to be successful against 8 different strains of influenza.

This fact means that it has a better record than any artificial vaccine that has been offered to the public. You can even buy elderberry extract for kids.

Different Options for Consuming Elderberries

As a Tincture
This is really a fantastic way to reap the health benefits of elderberry. But, the thing about it is that it’s also exceptionally bitter. Many joke that it works so well because no self respecting cold or flu would go near something which tastes that awful. That said, it is a popular method, plus its a fantastic method of improving one’s immune system.

In a Syrup
This is the tastiest of the ways you can consume elderberry, for sure. It has a pretty decent shelf life. It’s sweet, and contains zero alcohol. Some people have likened it to consuming some Nyquil. This is because its thick and coats your throat, and helps you to feel better quickly.

Drinking Tea
I haven’t tried this one in tea myself, but it’s quite a regular method of consumption. This is a popular one for those who enjoy a good tea after they wake up.

In Supplement Form
This is by far the easiest and fastest way to consume elderberries. Make sure you go with a company known for its high quality herbal supplements if you choose this option, though.

Making Elderberry Syrup at Home

Make some elderberry syrup all by yourself:

  1. Boil one cup of fresh elderberries with three glasses of water.
  2. Simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Take the pot off so it can cool and mash up the berries.
  4. Use a mesh strainer to pour the liquid into a bowl. Be sure to get as much as the juice from it as possible by mushing the berries as much as possible while doing this.
  5. Let it cool and then add a cup of honey while stirring.
  6. Put this in an air tight container and it’ll keep for many months within the fridge.

Utilize the syrup as desired in regular foods for an increased immune system. You may take 1 tsp each day to help your body to avoid getting a cold or flu at all. Or you can always just buy elderberry syrup if you don’t want to go through the trouble of making it at home.

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