Elderberry – Immune System Boost – Monastic Recipes

Description

What is Elderberry?

Elderberry is a plant known since ancient times for its medicinal properties. Hippocrates recommended placing elderberry leaves to relieve pain from gout, arthritis, and hemorrhoids, while Dioscorides mentions that they made tea or an extract from the leaves to reduce phlegm.

The flowers of the plant are particularly aromatic and have a white-to-yellowish color. The fruit of the plant is dark black and resembles berries. The medicinal parts of the plant are its leaves, flowers, fruits, and the bark of the tree.

Nutritional value

Elderberry is rich in nutrients. It actually has a higher flavonol content than blueberries, cranberries, and goji berries. It contains antioxidant vitamins A, C, and B vitamins, as well as calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Additionally, it is particularly rich in amino acids and a variety of phytochemicals (betulin, flavonoids, anthocyanins, glycosides, tannins, quercetin, rutin, and β-carotene), which have antiviral and antioxidant properties. Moreover, the essential oil from its flowers contains a significant amount of free fatty acids, which are especially beneficial for cardiovascular health.

Properties:

All parts of the plant—the bark, flowers, fruits, and leaves—have medicinal properties and have been used by many cultures for:

• fighting cough, cold, and flu.
• faster recovery from viral infections.
• treating sinusitis.
• relieving pain from gout.
• reducing fluid retention and edema.
• treating constipation and hemorrhoids.
• treating burns.
• fighting infections.

The results of a scientific study showed that elderberry extract was able to stop the replication of the herpes virus and reduce the infectivity of HIV.

Dosage:

The appropriate dosage depends on various factors such as age, the user’s health profile, the formulation of the product, and others.

Keep in mind that herbal products are not always necessarily safe, and dosages play an important role. Make sure to follow the usage instructions on the product labels and consult your doctor or pharmacist before using them.

Side effects:

Special attention should be given to elderberry fruits, as they are highly toxic and can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea. Therefore, they should only be consumed when ripe and after being cooked or baked.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as individuals with diabetes, autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus), or those taking diuretics and laxatives, should not take elderberry supplements.

Weight 30g