Elderberry Tea Benefits

Native Americans have long used elderberry tea to treat fevers and relieve the pain of aching joints. Elderberry tea has also been used in recent years to treat such things as the flu and colds that are caused by viruses. Elderberry tea is widely available at many local health food stores along with reputable online resources.

Features

• Some of the active components in elderberry flowers and the elderberry fruit are sambucin, sambunigrin and potassium nitrate, along with sugars.

  Elderberry tea can be made by combining about 3 tsp. dried flowers in 1 cup of boiled water. This mixture will need to steep for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once cool, you can drink 1 cup up to three times a day for treatment for various ailments.

Recommendations

• The best type of elderberry is considered the sambucus nigra, because it is truly the only safe type, as some others may, in fact, be poisonous. Make sure this is the type you are using in any tea preparations or in any prepackaged tea you purchase.

  Generally, elderberry tea is useful in treating influenza and fevers. It can also help to treat symptoms of a cold as well as asthma and bronchitis, because it has the ability to clear the accumulation of phlegm and mucus in the lungs and airways. For this reason, elderberry tea may also help with the treatment of allergic conditions and sinusitis.

Other Benefits

• Elderberry tea can also help to improve the effectiveness of kidney functioning by helping the kidneys to process toxins and remove them from the body.

  In addition, elderberry tea can help with diseases such as measles and chicken pox, because of its anti-inflammatory properties, and may ease itching and skin eruptions.

  Arthritis can also be helped by the drinking of elderberry tea, along with rheumatic pain.

Berries

• The edible berry portion of the elderberry is rich in vitamin C. The dark color associated with elderberries gives them a high amount of anthocyanin and a high bioflavonoid content. This is the property of elderberry that makes it useful in treating flu symptoms, because it acts as an immunostimulant.

  Elderberry also acts as an antioxidant and can protect the body against aging free radicals. Flavonoids, which include quercetin, make up the therapeutic properties of the elderberry berries and flowers.

  In addition, elderberry extract, which is contained in the tea, can reduce the damaging effects of bad cholesterol, or LDL.

Considerations

• Always consult your physician before taking any herbal supplement. While generally considered safe, elderberry can have some side effects, including gastrointestinal upset.