If you have a family, there is a simple equation that you should know by now: Happy Mom = Happy Family. I saw a new one that I believe is true: Healthy Mama = Healthy Family. Remember that moms are the rock of their family. To keep going as superpower Mom, we must always be strong. I have a secret for you. It is nothing scientific, just what we have done here for years. In the winter months, when the cold and flu season is in full swing, I drink a spoonful of simple elderberry syrup as a prevention. And the health benefits of elderberries work. I am not sick. And all the family members know the rule: Nobody is allowed to have flu symptoms!! So, we try to boost our immune system by eating well, drinking a lot of water, exercising our body multiple times a day, and sleeping well. Of course by CDC rules, we wash our hands a lot. And it works.
Remedies to ward off a cold.
For a good part of my life as a young woman, I had respiratory problems during winter. I would inevitably get sick with bronchitis or, worse, every winter season. I have tried a lot of on-the-shelf medicine, but not anymore. At any sign of scratchy or sore throat or runny nose, I grab the elderberry syrup and take one or two tablespoons several times during the day. Ask my family. They are so tired of hearing me say: Did I hear you cough? Go get the great elderberry syrup!! But again, it works. If you take it just before the symptoms get bad, it stops the illness. I researched how general immune support and food could help your system, but mostly, on every platform, they say there is insufficient data to prove it. But people, if we use our common sense here. Instead of getting sick and trying to stop the damage after. Let’s do what old people used to: help our body be at its best before being attacked. It works for me. It’s the perfect time to give it a try and please let me know if it works for you too.
Herbal remedy and money talk!
Money is always a big concern to me. I can’t help it, I was raised like that. Like a little squirrel, I save it everywhere I can. To say elderberry syrup or any other natural remedy is not cheap. It costs a lot of money. I always want a bottle in my house in case we need it, but I never like the price. So, the other day, I found two great versions of elderberry recipes online with dried berries. One from a YouTube channel that I like is named Roots and Refuge Farm. The other version is a little more detailed, and it comes from Mountain Rose Herbs, the company where I buy my essential natural ingredients. I will link both recipes so you can find the one you like. And with those recipes, you can make your homemade elderberry syrup for a fraction of the cost and be happy saving more money.
Most Favorite Elderberry syrup recipes will use these ingredients
The main ingredients included in most recipes are dried Elderberries, ground or whole cloves, grated fresh ginger, dried rose hips, whole cinnamon sticks, raw local honey, and distilled or filtered water.
Homemade elderberry syrup recipe
If you want a step-by-step guide to making homemade elderberry syrup, I am providing the recipe that I use. Since the recipes are not mine, I am redirecting you to trusted websites where I found them.
Get the health benefits of elderberries with the easy recipe from the Roots and Refuge Farm website.
Make your elderberry syrup with the recipe from the Mountain Roses Herbs website.
Health benefits of elderberry
There are many reported benefits of elderberries. Not only are they nutritious, but they may also help address cold and flu symptoms, support heart health, and fight inflammation and infections, among other benefits.1
Black elder (Sambucus nigra L.) has a long ethnobotanical history across many disparate cultures as a treatment for viral infection and is currently one of the most-used medicinal plants worldwide. Until recently, however, substantial scientific research concerning its antiviral properties has been lacking. Here, we evaluate the state of current scientific research concerning the use of elderberry extract and related products as antivirals, particularly in the treatment of influenza, as well as their safety and health impacts as dietary supplements. While the extent of black elder’s antiviral effects is not well known, antiviral and antimicrobial properties have been demonstrated in these extracts, and the safety of black elder is reflected by the United States Food and Drug Administration approval as generally recognized as safe. A deficit of studies comparing these S. nigra products and standard antiviral medications makes informed and detailed recommendations for the use of S. nigra extracts in medical applications currently impractical. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.2
Elder was called the “country people’s medicine chest.” Elder keeps the virus at bay by blocking the virus from entering the cell itself. All flu viruses have trouble with elderberry’s blockades. The flu symptoms like coughs, sore throats, and sinus congestion melt under this herb’s attention. 3
For more information on the conditions best helped by Elderberry, see the topics in The Practical Herbalist Conditions, including:
- flu
- coughs
- colds
- fevers
- skin inflammations
- allergies
- ear, nose, and throat infections
- weak immune systems4
Elderberry has immune-boosting compounds to help you feel your best and support the body’s immune defenses to stay healthy.
Shelf Life
The recipes I looked up were stored in the refrigerator for weeks. You use what you need during the season and do another small batch next year.
Safety precautions about black elderberries
Do not eat the uncooked dried elderberries, as they can cause digestive upset. The same thing for raw elderberries, you need to cook them because they are a toxic substance as raw fruit. Support your immune system with your own Elderberry Syrup Immunity Syrup. Made with Vitamin D and Zinc to support the immune system, elderberry provides antioxidants and honey to help soothe the throat. Be careful if you have young children, you should not give them honey before 1 year old.
Commercial elderberry syrup
I know not everyone has time to buy the local berries, cook them, and bottle them. Go to your favorite natural store or even your pharmacy, and you will find various elder products on the shelves. The nutrients that keep our immune system working well include vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D as well as copper, folate, iron, selenium and zinc. This doesn’t mean you need to take supplements- some vitamin supplements can be harmful if taken in large doses. Instead, focus on getting these nutrients from a healthy, varied diet, including fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, dairy products or fortified alternatives, and meat, fish, or plant proteins like pulses. 5
Planting Sambucus Nigra (Elderberry) in your backyard
The Elderberry lives in every temperate zone of the world. There is a superstition that if you plant an elderberry bush in your backyard, you will be safe from evil, black magic, and thunderlight. Just for sure, I planted two! The elderberry bush likes full sun and has no preferences for the soil. It grows in any kind of soil. It grows fast. If you have an elderberry tree in your entourage, you can harvest the fruits when they are mature, violet, and brilliant.
If you want to know more about medicinal herbs, I have just the link for you!
Affiliate Links
Mountain Roses Herbs – https://mountainroseherbs.com/
Simply Earth – https://simplyearth.com/
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. See my full disclosure HERE.
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/elderberry#health-benefits ↩︎
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28198157/ ↩︎
- Sierralupe, Sue, and Candace Hunter. “Elderberry: The Flu Fighter.” The Practical Herbalist, thepracticalherbalist.com/advanced-herbalism/herbal-encyclopedia/elderberry-the-flu-fighter/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2024. ↩︎
- Sierralupe, Sue, and Candace Hunter. “Elderberry: The Flu Fighter.” The Practical Herbalist, thepracticalherbalist.com/advanced-herbalism/herbal-encyclopedia/elderberry-the-flu-fighter/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2024. ↩︎
- https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/boosting-immunity ↩︎
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