Studies on Elderberry Suggest Herb Can Shorten Flu Symptoms

In a new study an extract of Elderberry reduced symptoms and shortened the duration of flu type A and B in fifty four participants aged 18-54. The study, accepted for publication in the Journal of International Medical Research, was conducted in Oslo, Norway. On average, flu patients given elderberry recovered in 3.1 days, compared to 7.1 days for those given a placebo. In a previous published study, 90% of flu patients taking Elderberry were completely free of symptoms in 2 to 3 days, as compared to 6 days with a placebo. This article about the study was published in the US National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The action is explained as follows - flu viruses are covered by tiny protein spikes which they use to attach to and infect healthy human cells. Apparently the key active substances within black elderberry disarm these spikes and stop the first step of viral infection. The study was conducted on an Israeli brand of elderberry product and it is pointed out that the elderberry extract works best if taken at the first sign of symptoms and that it has not been studied for it's preventive properties and is not a substitute for a flu vaccine.