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Botanical illustration of Elderberry
MedicinalSourced entry

Elderberry

Sambucus nigra

The European elder, whose berries are used in folk medicine for colds and flu and whose flowers are recognized in Europe for early cold symptoms. Raw berries, leaves and stems are poisonous.

Elderberry may interact with some medicines. If you take any medicine, read Interactions with medicines below and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

What is Elderberry?

Plant family
Viburnaceae, the viburnum and elder family
Parts used
The berries (cooked) and the flowers
Genus
Sambucus
Species
nigra

Also called

European Elder, Black Elderberry, Elder Flower, Sambucus, Elderflower

Traditionally used for

  • Colds
  • Flu
  • Immune support

Traditionally described as

  • Immune support

Health topics

Where Elderberry appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

Traditions that use it

  • European Folk Medicine

    Berries used for colds and flu; elder flower recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for early cold symptoms.

Safety

Interactions with medicines

  • Talk with your healthcare provider before using elderberry with medicines; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.[1]

Pregnancy

  • Little is known about whether elderberry is safe for health purposes during pregnancy or breastfeeding.[1]

Breastfeeding

  • There's no information on whether elderberry passes into breast milk or is safe for nursing mothers and babies. It has been used in Türkiye to increase breast milk, but this hasn't been tested in trials. Allergic reactions to elderberry products are rare.[2]

Toxicity testing

  • Raw or unripe elderberries, and other parts of the elder such as the leaves and stems, contain poisonous substances that produce cyanide. They can cause nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhea. Cooking destroys this toxin.[1]

How much to use

  • Elder flower medicines aren't recommended for children under 12. See a doctor if symptoms last more than a week or get worse, or if you get shortness of breath, fever or colored phlegm.[3]

Depends on how it's prepared

  • Heat lowers the cyanide-producing substances in elderberries. In elderberry products, levels fell by 44% in juice, 80% in tea and 96% in liqueur and spread compared with unprocessed berries. Heating also lowered the berries' beneficial antioxidant compounds.[4]

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Elderberry has been used in folk medicine for colds and flu, and is sold as a supplement for these and other upper respiratory infections.[1]

  • Based on long-standing use, the European Medicines Agency recognizes elder flower as a traditional herbal medicine to relieve early symptoms of a common cold, in adults and teens over 12. It is taken as a tea or liquid preparation.[3]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In lab tests on skin cells, elderflower extracts made with alcohol calmed an inflammation signal, an effect linked mainly to naringenin, one of their flavonoids. The flowers are rich in rutin and chlorogenic acid. These results haven't been tested in people.[5]

    Technical detail: inhibition of TNFα-induced NF-κB activation in HaCaT keratinocytes; best extraction yielded rutin 4.87% and chlorogenic acid 8.22%.

  • In lab tests, elderflower extracts weren't toxic to several kinds of human and animal cells.[6]

Research in people

  • Only a small number of studies have looked at elderberry for colds, flu and other upper respiratory infections. One meta-analysis found black elderberry supplements eased upper respiratory symptoms in randomized trials, but the evidence overall is preliminary. There isn't enough evidence to know whether it helps COVID-19 symptoms, and US regulators have taken action against companies making unsupported COVID-19 claims.[1]

In short

Never eat raw or unripe berries, leaves or stems: they contain cyanide-producing substances. Cooking removes them.

Sources

  1. [1] Elderberry: Usefulness and Safety — National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH)Government health agency
  2. [2] Elderberry. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) — National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)Government health agency
  3. [3] European Union herbal monograph on Sambucus nigra L., flos, Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/611512/2016) — European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC)Government health agency
  4. [4] Processed elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) products: A beneficial or harmful food alternative? · DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2016.04.056Peer-reviewed study
  5. [5] From Elderflower to Bioactive Extracts: Phytochemical Characterization and Anti-Inflammatory Activity · DOI: 10.3390/molecules31030561Peer-reviewed study
  6. [6] Elderberry and Linden Flowers Ethanol-Water Extracts: Extraction Type Effect, Analysis and Biological Activity Determination · DOI: 10.3390/molecules31050764Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.