Traditionally, elderberry has been used to treat flu and colds for a long time. Scientists have also carried out clinical trials on patients suffering from different kinds of flu. They found that elderberry extracts helped people to recover faster. They also tested elderberry extracts on flu viruses in vitro. They found that the extracts inhibited the flu viruses.
More recently scientists have tested elderberry extracts to see what effect they would have on the H1N1 virus (which is related to the virus that causes swine flu). They found that chemical compounds called flavonoids from the elderberry bind to the surface of the H1N1 virus and interfere with the virus’s ability to enter human cells. They thought that this would interfere with the spread of the virus in the infected person. They expected that people taking elderberry would suffer less severe flu symptoms. So they decided to carry out a clinical trial with elderberry extract on patients suffering with flu.
They carried out the trial in Shanghai, China, in March-April 2009. The patients were aged 16-60 and all had had flu-like symptoms for less than 24 hours. They had at least three of the following symptoms: fever, headache, muscle aches, coughing, mucus discharge and blocked nose. Half of the patients received elderberry extract lozenges and the other half received lozenges that looked and tasted like the elderberry lozenges but did not contain any elderberry extract.
At the beginning of the trial 15 patients in the elderberry group and 9 in the other group had fevers ranging from 37.3-38.8 degrees C. After 24 hours all the patients taking elderberry had lower temperatures and after 48 hours they all had normal temperatures. Most of the patients taking the placebo (lozenges without elderberry extract) still had high temperatures after 48 hours. Similarly after 48 hours most of the patients taking elderberry had no more headache, whereas the other patients had worse headaches. In fact all symptoms improved in the group taking the elderberry lozenges.
The author of this study concludes that this particular elderberry extract “can rapidly relieve influenze-like symptoms” and that it is similar to or even better than antiviral drugs for treating flu like symptoms. It does not have any of the side effects of antiviral drugs, so is much safer.
Scientists are always very careful not to jump to hasty conclusions, so, as this was a very small clinical trial, the author suggests that more research needs to be done. He also suggests that this particular extract should be tested against H5N1 flu virus (the one that causes bird flu) because scientists have already demonstrated that flavonoids from elderberry extract stick to the bird flu virus in vitro.
References
Marissa Oppel-Sutter, MS. Elderberry Extract Shows Activity for Treating Influenza Symptoms in Pilot Trial.
Reviewed: Kong F. Pilot clinical study on a proprietary elderberry extract: efficacy in addressing influenza symptoms. Online Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics. 2009; 5:32-43
HerbalGram 85 page 21
http://www.herbalgram.org/
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