Why Is Black Elderberry Such A Powerful Flu Fighter?

According to the "Handbook of Medicinal Herbs," black elderberry leaves were touted by European herbalists to be pain relieving and to promote healing of injuries when applied as a poultice. Native American herbalists used the plant for infections, coughs, and skin conditions. Black elderberry is a plant that grows primarily in Europe and North America. It's a natural remedy with three flavonoids that have antiviral properties. Flavonoids are very effective against different strains of influenza virus. Black elderberry also has other compounds, called anthocyanins, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, thus reducing aches and pains. A popular brand is Sambucol. Sambucol has been shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus. Studies have demonstrated that Sambucol formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production, which mediates the viral load in the human system. On average, flu patients given Sambucol recovered in 3.1 days compared to 7.1 days for those given placebo, and there are no known side effects. A prominent Israeli virologist, and developer of the Sambucol extract, Dr. Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu said "Sambucol is one of our best treatments for the flu, especially when taken at first sign of symptoms. Flu viruses are covered by tiny protein spikes of hemagglutinin, which they use to attach to, and infect, healthy human cells," she says. "While working on my doctoral thesis we isolated key active substances within black elderberry that disarm hemagglutinin and thus stop the first step of viral invasion." Sambucol syrup seems very safe for children and adults as a treatment, not a preventative, against influenza.