What Does Sambucol Treat?

Sambucol is an immune system support supplement with the active ingredient black elderberry extract. The company advertises it for relief of colds and flu. Limited clinical studies show it as having promise for the treatment of influenza, and further studies are ongoing.

Active Ingredient

• Sambucol uses a proprietary elderberry extract which was the one researched in clinical trials. Other elderberry products do not use an identical extract.

Effect on Flu

• Medical doctor Andrew Weil notes on his website that sambucol appears to reduce the duration of flu symptoms, but it does not prevent the flu.

Initial Research

• The first study to demonstrate sambucol effectiveness was published in a 1995 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Patients with influenza who took sambucol recovered significantly faster than those taking a placebo.

Cytokines

• Weil cites another study indicating that sambucol increases production of inflammatory cytokines. That, in turn, increases immune system function.

Further Potential

• The Weil Website theorizes that sambucol may be useful for boosting immune function in people with cancer and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).