An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A healthy diet can prevent illness, and it is no coincidence folks get sick during the holiday season: stress, sugar, and low vitamin D levels are a recipe for disaster. Probiotics, cod liver oil, and fermented foods have contributed to good health for my family in the winter. Homeopathic medicine has been a lifesaver; I am so glad I learned how to use this medicine properly.

There are other ways to strengthen your immune system that are not weird or complicated. Elderberry syrup is one more tool to add to your natural mom toolbox.

I started making elderberry syrup over 12 years ago in South Korea. A large bag of dehydrated elderberries lasted for a few years. I made it when I felt our immune system could use extra support when a nasty bug was circulating. Last winter, I bought Elderberry syrup because we were busy, but it was expensive. You can save money by making Elderberry Syrup. I am growing Elderberries this year, so my cost will be lower.

I was curious to see if there is any proof Elderberry Syrup can prevent or shorten the duration of illness.  I searched the scientific literature for controlled studies and found a few that support the claims of “old wives’ tales.”

In this study, patients who received 15 ml of elderberry syrup four times a day were better, on average, four days sooner than a placebo. Source

In this double-blind-placebo-controlled, randomized study, Sambucol reduced the duration of flu symptoms to 3-4 days. Source

So, it appears that taking Elderberry syrup MAY lessen the duration and severity of illness by 3-4 days. (15 ml = 1 tablespoon).

Making homemade Elderberry syrup is easy to do, and it is cheaper than buying it. Here is how I make it:

Recipe

1 cup of dried elderberries
4 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
2 TBS dried ginger (or freshly chopped ginger)
pinch of cloves
1 cup raw honey

Directions

Add all ingredients except the raw honey into a large pot. Heat the mixture until it boils, then cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the mixture into a quart mason jar and add the raw honey once it reaches room temperature. (If you add the honey when the mixture is hot, you will lose some of the benefits associated with it).

Dosage rate: in the study listed above, the adults took 4 TBS per day during illness to reap the benefits.

Parents with young children, it is NOT recommended to give honey to children under the age of one year. WHO advisory

Also, do not eat raw elderberries because they are toxic if consumed raw.