Why Black Elderberry Is Great For Immune Support

Find out why you should add black elderberry extract to your natural remedies toolkit.

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Thank you to Sambucol and The Motherhood for sponsoring this post.

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If you’re like me, you get a little paranoid this time of year. “Wash your hands!” “Don’t share drinking cups!” “Cover your mouth!” I feel like I am playing germ cop all the time! As a parent, it’s hard to feel like you have much control, when germs are spiraling out of control….but you have more control than you might think. While there’s obviously no way to ensure that your family won’t get sick, there is a lot you can do to boost your immune system, making it more likely your family will remain healthy, through the winter and all year round.

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Natural Immunity Boosting Tools

Besides playing germ cop, my strategy for keeping my family healthy is to focus on healthy foods, natural remedies and smart routines that will keep our immune systems running at their best. Here are some of the things in my immunity boosting toolkit:

• Incorporate immune boosting foods like garlic, ginger, dark green vegetables and sweet potatoes into family meals
• Ensure adequate levels of Vitamin C and zinc through foods and supplements
• Supplement daily with black elderberry extract (learn more below)
• Enjoy herbal tea with a spoonful of manuka honey
• Drink lots of water
• Encourage exercise
• Make sure everyone gets plenty of sleep

The Benefits of Black Elderberry Extract

One of the things I have loved about living a more natural, healthy lifestyle is learning about natural remedies that have been around forever but have fallen out of the mainstream. Black elderberries have been recognized for centuries for their immune-supportive properties. But modern medicine has mostly ignored this. Black elderberries are high in flavonoids which are powerful, natural antioxidants that are thought to work to protect the body’s cells from the potential damage caused by free radicals. These flavonoids, called anthocyanins, have double the natural antioxidant capacity of blueberries and significantly more than cranberries. Lately, black elderberry extract has had somewhat of a resurgence and is becoming a popular tool for natural immune support once again!

Sambucol Black Elderberry Gummies

The most common way to take black elderberry extract is in a syrup form. Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup* has come to my rescue many times over the years! Sambucol is the original black elderberry supplement developed by a virologist. It’s been researched and tested in published clinical trials showing it to help support the immune system. Only recently did I learn that Sambucol now comes in gummies! Sambucol Black Elderberry Gummies provide the equivalent of over 3.5g of black elderberry per serving. This makes two gummies approximately equivalent to one serving of the Sambucol original syrup. The gummies are super convenient (no messy syrup or spoons to wash) and my kids love the flavor! A few other things to note about Sambucol Black Elderberry Gummies:

• only 1g of pure cane sugar in each gummy, and no artificial flavors or sweeteners
• contains no dairy products, eggs, gelatin, gluten, peanuts, preservatives, wheat or yeast
• pectin-based, (derived from orange peels) which means they won’t stick to your teeth and won’t melt or stick together
• appropriate for both adults and children
• suitable for vegetarians and vegans
• can be taken every day for continuous immune support

You can find Sambucol products at select Target stores and most drug and grocery stores. *Note: Sambucol Black Elderberry is a dietary supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Have you taken black elderberry extract? What else do you do for immune support? Leave a comment below!