Elderberry Is Both Antibacterial & Antiviral

For instance, in laboratory experiments, a standardized elderberry liquid extract was shown to have antimicrobial activity against multiple bacterial species that are responsible for upper respiratory tract infections.

This liquid extract was also shown to block the propagation of human flu viruses in laboratory experiments. A virus cannot reproduce on its own, but can only do so inside the cells of its living hosts. Each infected host cell is forced to rapidly produce thousands of identical copies of the original virus. This is known as virus propagation.

Elderberry Helps Fight Flu & Herpes Viruses

Elderberry had also previously been reported to have antiviral activity against flu viruses and the herpes simplex viruses HSV-1 and HSV-2, which cause cold sores and genital herpes, respectively.

In a laboratory experiment, two bioactive flavonoid compounds from elderberry extract (S. nigra L) were shown to bind to human flu viral particles, and when bound, block the ability of these viruses to infect host cells. S. nigra L extract was also seen to inhibit infectious bronchitis virus at an early point during infection, likely by rendering the virus unable to infect host cells.

Sambucus Nigra Acts in Multiple Ways Against the Flu Virus

Similarly, researchers from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and IT have shown that Black Elder juice was effective at stopping the flu virus from infecting human cells in culture.

To their surprise, Black Elder juice was much more effective at preventing viral propagation at later stages in the flu cycle, after the cells had already been infected with the virus. These results indicate that elderberry acts in multiple ways against flu viruses.

Is Elderberry an Effective Therapy for People with Viral Flu Infections?

In the early 2000s, researchers set out to determine whether or not elderberry is an effective therapy for the flu. They conducted a study on 60 patients from Norway between the ages of 18 and 54 years during a time when influenza was present in the community. The study participants, who were all suffering from flu-like symptoms for 48 hours or less, were given 15 ml of elderberry or placebo syrup 4 times daily for 5 days as part of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Faster Recovery & Less Medication Needed for Elderberry Group

The study authors noted that relative to patients receiving placebo, those receiving elderberry extract showed relief from their flu-like symptoms up to 4 days earlier, significantly lowering the need for rescue medication.

The researchers concluded that elderberry extract offers an efficient, safe, and cost-effective treatment for the flu, but noted that their findings needed to be confirmed in a larger study.

Significant Improvement in Symptoms

Similarly, a standardised elderberry extract (Now®) has been shown to prevent replication of at least 10 variants of human flu viruses in laboratory experiments. To test its effectiveness in people, a placebo-controlled, double blind study was carried out on a group of individuals who were treated either with the elderberry extract or control extract during an outbreak of the flu.

A significant improvement in symptoms, including fever, was seen in 93.3% of the individuals in the Sambucol-treated group within 2 days. In contrast, 91.7% of the patients in the control group showed an improvement, but only within 6 days. A complete cure was achieved within 2-3 days in nearly 90% of the Sambucol-treated group, but only within at least 6 days in the control group.

Considering the efficacy of the elderberry extract on the many strains of the flu virus in laboratory studies, the clinical results, its low cost, and absence of side-effects, the study authors stated they believed that this preparation could be a safe and effective flu treatment.

Does Elderberry Work for Colds?

A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of 312 economy class passengers travelling from Australia to an overseas destination assessed the effects of treatment with Black Elder extract on cold episodes, duration, and symptoms.

More cold episodes were seen to occur in participants in the placebo group than in the elderberry extract group. Participants in the placebo group also had a significantly longer duration of cold episode days, with more reported symptoms – indicating that Black Elder extract significantly reduced cold duration and severity in these air travelers.

Black Elderberry for Upper Respiratory Infections

In 2019, a meta-analysis was carried out to quantify the effects of Black Elder supplementation on upper respiratory infections. In a total of 180 participants, supplementation was found to significantly reduce upper respiratory symptoms due to viral infections, suggesting thatBlack Elder might be an effective and safer alternative to prescription drugs for upper respiratory infections.

In a review article, scientists at Natural Standard Research Collaboration (NSRC), which evaluates natural therapies, assessed the results of three human trials on elderberries involving a total of 151 patients taking syrups or lozenges. In their assessment, the NSRC scientists gave the berry a grade of “B” denoting “good scientific evidence” for treatment of the flu, but stated that more research was needed.

Outlier Study Finds No Benefit

However, not all clinical studies on elderberry have had such positive outcomes. A study published in 2020 examined the results of 87 patients who had tested positive for the flu. These patients were randomly assigned to receive elderberry extract or a placebo for 5 days. At the end of the study, no differences were seen in the severity or duration of flu symptoms between the elderberry and placebo groups. Aware that their study results contradicted previous studies, the authors recommended that further studies were needed.

The Health Benefits of Elderberry for the Immune System

There is growing evidence to indicate that elderberry acts directly on the immune system. For instance, in laboratory experiments, three standardized black elderberry preparations were seen to increase production of five different pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In particular, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines was significantly increased, specifically a cytokine known as TNF-alpha.

Cytokines are a broad category of small proteins, also known as peptides, that play an important role in signaling between cells, including immune cells. In other words, black elderberry formulations may directly act on the immune system, potentially offering therapeutic benefits in patients with diseases in which their immune system is suppressed.

Elderberry Is Rich in Antioxidants

Dietary anthocyanins have been shown to reduce inflammation in animal models and black elderberry is one of the richest sources of anthocyanins. In laboratory experiments, black elderberry extract (as well as anthocyanins on their own) have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and combat inflammation.

Similarly, bioactive polyphenols extracted from Sambucus nigra were seen to increase levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in an animal model of insulin-deficient diabetes.