Berries are some of the healthiest foods on the planet because of their richness in antioxidants, vitamin C, and fibre. What’s even more remarkable is that they are low in calories, so you could enjoy plenty of servings without feeling guilty. These qualities make berries the best friends of health junkies.
The most commonly known berries are blueberries, raspberries, acai berries, strawberries, and cranberries. But another type of berry is now recognized as one of North America’s top-selling herbal foods: the elderberry.
Elderberry is the fruit of the European elder, or Sambucus nigra, L. The European elder is a small tree-like shrub known for its creamy white flowers and deep purple berries. Native to North America, North Africa, and Europe, elders have been cultivated for its berries to make wines, juices, and jams. Although it has been utilized as a medicinal herb for many years, its known benefits are now supported with recent clinical evidence. These scientific studies back up centuries of the elder tree and its elderberries‘ historical use as healthy food and source of healing ingredients.
Here are the top three reasons why elderberries deserve to be recognized along with the other, more popular berries:
1. Elderberries Are Loaded with Antioxidants
It is common knowledge for health-conscious people that berries contain high amounts of antioxidants. Antioxidants help keep free radicals in our bodies under control. These free radicals, if not neutralized, can damage our cells by causing oxidative stress, leading to premature signs of ageing. Antioxidants are also integral components for our bodies’ healthy inflammatory response and aids in our bodies’ battle against chronic illnesses.
Elderberry supplements are an excellent source of ellagic acid, anthocyanins and flavonoids such as rutin, quercetin, and isoquercetin. Elderberry antioxidants are considered the primary compounds for their medicinal benefits, including their immunomodulating effects. It is important to select a commercial elderberry extract that is standardized to a particular antioxidant concentration.
2. Elderberries Are Rich in Nutrients
Elderberries are like most berries in that they are packed with nutritional value. In addition to their low calorie content, they are incredibly rich in various vitamins and minerals. They also contain proteins, fatty acids, phytosterols, and carbohydrates that contribute to overall wellbeing and quality health.
Compared with raw blueberries, raw elderberries contain ten times the vitamin A, four times the vitamin C, and five times the calcium and iron content. Best of all, the calorie count of a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of elderberries berries ranges from 32 to 57.
Keep in mind that raw berries contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides that can build up as deposits of cyanide in the body, causing serious illnesses and dysfunction. That’s why you should cook elderberries before consuming them as food. The heat degrades the toxins, making them safe to munch away.
3. Elderberries Are Remedies for Colds and Flu
Elderberry capsules are traditionally used to relieve symptoms of colds and flu such as sore throat, cough, fever and upper respiratory tract congestion. Laboratory and clinical studies support these benefits because of the anti-microbial, anti-viral, and immune-modulating properties they discovered in them.
Elderberry extract has also been shown to combat and defeat strains of influenza A and B. At the same time, some clinical studies indicate that taking a standardized elderberry extract can reduce influenza symptoms by up to four days. It has been proven that taking elderberry provides an enhanced production of antibodies against the influenza virus.
Conclusion
Elderberry has long been used for its medicinal benefits. Even without laboratories and clinical studies, people’s testaments were enough proof to use them for their health needs. And now is the perfect time to recognize elderberries as another healthy food in our life-long battle against the many unseen threats to our bodies.
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