The Amazing Elderberry Benefits!
The numerous elderberry benefits will be covered in this article. The elderberry plant offers so many health benefits. We will examine the scientific research that has been done on this plant and will discover why it is considered to be one of nature’s ‘Superfoods’! The Elderberry plant is a native of Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a hardy plant and can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions. However, it is found most often in temperate and semitropical regions. There are several varieties of the elderberry plant and they produce either blue, black or red berries. The blue and black berries tend to provide the health benefits of elderberry rather than the red berries. Both the flowers and berries have medicinal properties. The elderberry is a versatile food source. It may be made into wine, pie, juice, jams, cordial, honey and tea. Elderberry contains a number of important compounds, particularly anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that have immune-stimulating properties.
The elderberry benefits have been studied quite extensively and there are some amazing health-promoting benefits of this plant! A safe and cost-effective treatment for influenzaSeveral studies have shown elderberry benefits in reducing the length of flu symptoms significantly compared to control groups. The studies suggest that elderberry has powerful anti-viral properties.In fact, one study found that nearly 90% of the elderberry-treated group had a complete cure of influenza within 2-3 days compared to the control group, which took at least 6 days for a complete cure. Another study found influenza symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier in the elderberry-treated group compared to the control group. It appears from the extensive research that there are significant benefits of elderberry in helping to reduce the duration of flu symptoms. Lowers (bad) cholesterolAnother elderberry benefit is that it lowers serum cholesterol concentrations and helps to reduce the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol.Another study examined the benefits of elderberry in relation to cholesterol concentrations immediately following the consumption of a high-fat meal. The results indicated that elderberry was actually able to reduce cholesterol levels whereas the control group had an increase in cholesterol levels following the high-fat meal. Stimulates the immune systemA study in 2001 demonstrated that an elderberry extract was able to activate the immune system of subjects by increasing inflammatory cytokine production.Therefore, it may be beneficial for healthy people to use it for preventative measures, especially during times of the year when the immune system needs boosting. Furthermore, it may also be useful for patients with various diseases. It may have an immunoprotective and/ or immunostimulatory effect when administered. Protects endothelial cellsDysfunction of endothelial cells (cells that line the blood vessels) has long been proposed to play a role in the initiation and development of vascular disease, i.e. atherosclerosis (build up of fatty deposits on artery walls) and arteriosclerosis (hardening of arteries).There have been numerous studies indicating that administration of antioxidants improves endothelial function. In one study an elderberry extract was used that contained 4 anthocyanins (powerful antioxidants). The study found that there was uptake of the anthocyanins into the membranes of the endothelial cells as well as the cytosol. By doing so, this offered the cells considerable protective effects against oxidative stress, which means that it may play a significant role in protecting against vascular disease. Other considerationsCertain compounds that appear in nature are often not considered to be bioavailable (absorbed into the body). Glycosides are an example of compounds with low bioavailability.However, research has shown that the anthocyanins from elderberry (which are a type of glycoside) are actually highly absorbable. In fact, one study has shown that the active ingredients from elderberry are better absorbed into the body that the active ingredients from blackcurrant juice! Overall, there are many powerful elderberry benefits and as a result they are considered to be a 'Super food'. Elderberry is one of the ingredients in BCN's
Super 7 Blend. It is available from health food stores everywhere.
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