Will Elderberry Syrup Help With Colds?
When lying down for a runny nose and sore throat, there is little that can provide real relief. (Rest, liquids, and over-the-counter Sudafed are most of those things .) But there are plenty of “natural” products on the shelves that are said to help. Today we’re going to take a look at one with minuscule scientific evidence behind it: elderberry syrup.
The elderberries, which come from the same plant as the elderberry flowers that you may know from drink recipes , are a real berry that can get sick if you eat them fresh, but they are usually boiled and made into jams and syrups.
How convincingly is it proven to help with colds?
Not good. There are several studies (such as this and this ) that have shown that people who took elderberry syrup recovered faster from a cold or flu than people who took a placebo. But these studies were small and generally ended with the researchers saying, um, I wonder, I wonder if we’ll see this effect in a larger, better study.
No definitive research has yet been carried out. The National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health concludes , “While some preliminary research suggests elderberry may relieve flu symptoms, there is insufficient evidence to support its use for this purpose.”
What are the risks?
This is also not well understood, but for now, if you only take syrup and don’t eat fresh berries or flowers, it looks like you will be fine.
There may not be much real elderberry in pharmacy products.
The fact that a product has elderberries on the label does not mean that it is equivalent to the “maybe it will work” wording used in research. One group of researchers noted:
In a number of other available preparations, the content of flavonoids is absent or very low. We believe that adequate amounts as well as the composition of the flavonoids present in the extract are necessary for the therapeutic effect of elderberry syrup as reported in our study.
This study used a formulation of Sambucol, which the researchers said was high in flavonoids, which they believed were the active ingredients.
But if you look at the shelf of a typical pharmacy, you will see that the products contain very different amounts of elderberry. Alongside the original Sambucol formula, you can find Sambucol for colds and flu , which is homeopathic and therefore contains virtually no real elderberry extract. (Even if you believe in homeopathy, which you shouldn’t, homeopathic remedies should do the opposite of what a full dose of the remedy does. In other words, syrup and syrup homeopathic remedy shouldn’t have the same indication!)
As a result, elderberry medications are unlikely to help and are unlikely to harm. If you have money to burn and want to try your luck, just make sure you don’t get the homeopathic version. And if you do get better within a few days, please do not assume that elderberry proves is a miracle drug . Cold. In any case, you will be well in a few days.