Elderberry syrup is a delish and effective remedy to lean on during cold and flu season. Particularly beloved by families- you can take it preventatively or during active infection.
How it works: Elderberries are a potent antiviral herb. Clinical studies have shown they work by inhibiting viral replication, as well as having other supportive actions such as inflammation-modulating, antioxidant and immune stimulant.
How to use:
*Note – if the elderberry syrup contains honey, don’t give to babies under 1
Shelf-life is usually 6weeks – 3 months. If it tastes fizzy, it’s just fermented but discard for a fresh batch.
Because elderberries work to inhibit viral replication, elderberry syrup is best taken at the first signs of infection.
In the first 12 – 24 hours, you can take small doses regularly, this might look like:
adults: 1 tablespoon/ hour or 2, and
kids: ½ – 1 teaspoon / hour or 2 hour.
After first 12/24 hours, but still active infection:
Once that first day of active infection has passed, drop the usage down to 3-4 times / day whilst symptoms are present
Once symptoms have passed:
When symptoms have passed, you can still take it 1- 3 times/ day for immune support and to make sure you recover well.
Elderberry primarily stimulates the immune system and will support symptoms, but depending what’s going on you’ll likely reach for other herbal remedies or supplements to support you as well, ie. Fever support teas, cough syrups, or Vitamin C/Zinc.
Recovering well
Something we often don’t do well in our culture is recover well. We’re too often itching for the symptoms to be gone so we can just get back to life (no judgement, this is me too!) but this can lead to us feeling fatigued for longer or more susceptible to recurrent illness.
Depending how sick you were and how often you get sick, you might like to use supportive convalescent herbs such as astragalus and shiitake to help you recover to full strength.
The more you work with elderberry syrup, the more you’ll get a feel for how to use it effectively for your family.
See my other blogs for more info
Elderberry Syrup – 3 things I wish I’d known sooner – to really learn from my mistakes and what I do now.
