You may have heard grandma or grandpa talk about picking wild elderberries for jams, jellies, wines or even syrups that can be used for pancakes or ones to boost the immune system to help a fight a cold or the flu. Scientists now recognize that using elderberries can be beneficial. The benefits of elderberries are particularly good for people with compromised lungs with diseases like COPD. In addition to being good for respiratory disorders, elderberry and elderberry products can be good for those with diabetes and can help maintain eye, heart and digestive health.
Elderberries have been used for centuries for healing.
There’s evidence that elderberries not only have been around for centuries, but their benefits have also been known for almost as long. Scientists discovered elderberry recipes used for healing in Ancient Egypt and there’s even evidence that prehistoric man may have cultivated elderberries as long ago as 3,000 BCE. It’s a flowering shrub that can look like a tree and grows almost everywhere in the world. They can grow in almost any type of soil.
Elderberries can prevent viruses from attaching to the body’s cells.
Viruses can’t replicate themselves. They need a living host cell in order to do that. The virus injects its genetic material into the cell, hijacking the cell and taking it over. Viruses have spiny looking projectiles on their surface called glycoproteins. They help viruses avoid the immune system and identify, bind and enter a healthy cell’s receptors. Their basic function is to attach the virus to the receptor of the cell and insert their own RNA, so the cells can replicate them by the millions. The phytochemicals shikimic acid, anthocyanin and quercetin, among others, inhibit the process.
Those phytochemicals block the protein, preventing attachment.
By blocking the protein and preventing attachment, the virus can’t take over, and the immune system can handle the problem easier. What happens if the virus has already entered the cell? No matter how many times it blocks additional entries, you’re already infected with the virus. The phytochemicals have that covered, too. They stimulate the cells that have been taken over by these viral hitchhikers to release cytokines. Cytokines are chemical messengers used to coordinate a more aggressive response to invading pathogens. They identify and tag the virus. That makes it easier for the immune system to do its job, allowing it to recognize the virus and eliminating it.
- One study published in 2004, showed that taking an elderberry extract within 48 hours of getting the flu shortened the duration. Those getting a placebo showed no improvement, while those who received an elderberry extract were symptom free or had milder symptoms.
- Elderberries also have dietary fiber, antioxidants like flavanols and phenolic acid and vitamin C. It’s low in calories and carbs, too.
- Eating elderberries raw can cause digestive upsets due to the cyanogenic glycosides. Eating too many raw berries can have dire consequences. However, once you cook the berries, there is no problem.
- Elderberries contain shikimic acid, one of the phenolic acids. It’s an effective blocker of spike protein and is used in making many antiviral and antibacterial drugs, including Tamiflu.
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