The nutritive properties of elderberries (Sambucus nigra) have been widely known for a long time. Black elder berries are native to Eurasia and North America, and is ubiquitous in the latter. S. nigra grows in warmer sections of Europe and North America with several regional varieties and subspecies. The canadensis subspecies, in particular, grows throughout eastern North America.

Folk healers have lauded the elder shrub for its healing aura that increases longevity and vitality. In fact, medicine people from various Native American tribes have used the long, hollow elder wood blowpipe to endow “special energies” into healing herbal formulas. People used elder wood to repel evil and misfortune – planting shrubs near houses and barns, pinning leaves around the entrances of their houses and carrying elder twigs as protective charms.

The equally nutritious elderberries also have protective properties – containing compounds that help fight off sicknesses. However, the leaves, bark and flowers were also used for their medicinal properties. How can elderberries protect you from sickness and what kinds of ailments do they shield you from?

Elderberries can protect you from viral infections

The flavonoids in elderberries can block flu viruses from entering human cells by preventing them from sticking to cell receptors. Research has found that the flavonoid cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside, isolated from elderberry, can inhibit influenza viruses by stopping them from sticking to cell walls and penetrating inside the cell, where they replicate. Cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside, along with cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, are responsible for the dark color of elderberries.

Elderberries can protect you from inflammation and free radicals

The flavonoids in elderberries were also found to have potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Both healthy volunteers and those with immunosuppressive viral infections who took elderberry extract in clinical trials had increased cytokine production and reduced inflammation. Cytokines are proteins produced by the body that enhance the body’s immune response.

In addition, the anthocyanins present in elderberries inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Dubbed as the “bad” cholesterol, LDL oxidation is associated with different chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

People throughout history have enjoyed consuming elderberries and other parts of the elder shrub

Elderberries and other parts of the elder plant have been considered nutritious sources of sustenance throughout history.

Native Americans made pemmican cakes from pounded, dried elderberries and other fruits mixed with wild game meat and tallow. These high-energy cakes provided energy and could be stored for a long time. Women in the colonial period would boil elderberry juice with sugar until it reduces to a paste. They would them give a spoonful of this elderberry paste in warm water to address symptoms of cough and flu. Elderflowers were consumed fresh in the spring and dried for future use. Their broad, flat umbels were battered and fried, with elderberry syrup and honey on the side.

Elderflowers are used in modern times to flavor cooked fruit, jams and syrups, with unopened flower buds sometimes pickled and used as a substitute for capers in some recipes. The berries themselves are combined with other fruits such as apples for making jelly. They are also used for making wines and vinegar, similar to how balsamic vinegar is made from grapes. The dried berries, meanwhile, are used for making a fruity, flavorful tea – which a study has found to be effective in helping treat colds, sinusitis and influenza.

Eat elderberries today and enjoy the protective properties of this fruit, just as it healed and protected people from different periods.

Learn more about the healing power of elderberries at FoodIsMedicine.news.

Sources:

CMS.HerbalGram.org

ScienceDirect.com

OffTheGridNews.com

Journals.SagePub.com