E l d e r

During the Winter of 2004 when my sons were 4, 6 & 14, we kept getting slammed with upper respiratory viruses that were circulating in the community, most especially at our local schools. And unfortunately our good hygiene habits, vitamins, probiotics and a few other supplements that I relied upon to promote and protect our health just didn't seem to be helping enough. My mother was concerned about us and sent us a care package in the mail--she lives in another state--that included a bottle of Elderberry syrup which we blew through in just days. But I could tell right away that it was helping us. All of us. Immensely. So I began to research Elderberry and became increasingly impressed by it, most especially by the fact that scientific studies revealed that it can prevent viral replication in cells.

I began buying the syrup regularly to have on hand because I knew of nothing that had ever worked so well for colds and flus. Thanks to the magic of Elderberry we were rarely sick anymore and if we did come down with something, it was very short lived. With us being a family of 5 and on a tight budget it was somewhat expensive though, so I began making my own to make sure we always had plenty. Slowly, people around us started to notice that my family and I were somehow fairing better than most so that led to conversations about Elderberry. Which led to me supplying coworkers, neighbors, friends and family with syrup, and eventually offering it online.

I still make the syrup and for the last 6 years I have had the luxury of making it with fresh Elderberries which makes for a much tastier syrup to me. When I first began making it I was using dried berries that I purchased because I didn't yet know where our local Elder shrubs were. But over time, as I wildcrafted more and more, I discovered where the glorious shrubs lived and began gathering the flowers and the berries. The syrup that I made with the dried berries honestly worked well so I am not saying that fresh is better than dried but for me fresh is absolutely preferable. I tend to be a fresh plant herbalist, preferring to work with fresh plant matter whenever possible. I also use the fresh berries for making tincture and elixir. Most sources advise against using fresh berries unless they have been cooked but I don't cook the berries before tincturing them and so far no one has complained about suffering from gastric distress. I have eaten small amounts of the raw berries with no ill effects either.

I have thankfully not been sick with a cold or flu virus since 2011 (*** knock on wood) and my husband has only had one cold virus in 12 years. I heavily attribute this to Elderberry and Elderflower, I actually like to use them together. So when I make Elderberry syrup, tincture, elixir, herbal tea blends or infused honey, I always include the flowers. The two have an important synergy to me that enhance one another, making more potent formulas from what I have experienced.

Between my own Elderberry experiences and working with dozens of people as an herbalist, Elder has shown me time and again that it can easily boost overall health and well being, prevent or shorten the duration of colds, flus and some allergy flare ups when enough is taken. I can cannot stress enough that you can't take ONE dose while you are on your back in bed in the throes of a flu virus and expect a miraculous recovery. Multiple frequent doses are needed at such a time. I am often asked how I use it and generally speaking, when viruses are heavily circulating in my community and I have been out running errands or I know that I have been exposed to someone who is ill, I take one dose per day for health maintenance. If for some reason I have even the slightest tickle in my throat or I feel extra run down, I take 2 doses a day until I feel better. I just increase the daily dose up to 5 times per day if needed based on how I am feeling, and I take it until I feel well again.

I have found that it also helps with other concerns such as bouts of fatigue, inflammatory conditions, some infections (such as urinary tract infections, sinus infections) and working with fevers in a healthy way. Elder is simply one of my favorite plants to work with and certainly one of the most important medicines that I make. If you are not yet familiar with the benefits of Elder, I highly encourage you to research it. There have been many scientific studies published about Elder and its many benefits and there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence on the internet.

Elderberry is considered to be cooling, drying, antioxidant, antiviral, immune tonic, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, alterative, astringent, diuretic, diaphoretic, expectorant