With the holiday parties, traveling and all the shopping thats happening in the next few weeks, I try my best to keep my immune system as strong as possible. That means eating a whole foods diet, drinking lots of water, and increasing my antioxidant intake.
We've spent a few weeks talking about different ways to get antioxidants like pomegranates and wolfberries. Now lets talk about Elderberry!
What is Elderberry?
Elderberries are the fruit of the Sambucus tree. The most common type is the Sambucus nigra.
Benefits:
High in dietary fiber: Elderberries contain 7 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fresh berries, which is over one-quarter of the recommended daily intake
Rich in anthocyanins: These compounds give the fruit its characteristic dark black-purple color and are a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects
A good source of flavonols: Elderberry contains the antioxidant flavonols quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. The flowers contain up to 10 times more flavonols than the berries
High in vitamin C: There are 6–35 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit, which accounts for up to 60% of the recommended daily intake
A good source of phenolic acids: These compounds are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce damage from oxidative stress in the body
100 grams of fresh berries contain 73 calories, 18.4 grams of carbs and less than 1 gram each of fat and protein. Do not eat raw elderberries, as they can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is also worth noting that elderberry syrup often contains high levels of sugar.
Recipe:
Organic dried elderberry (1/2 cup): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AGMMLU8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Water (3.5 cups)
Cinnamon sticks (1 stick): https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Gourmet-Fancy-Stick-Cinnamon/dp/B0005YWD1U/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1UE98PAPC16FT&keywords=cinnamon+sticks&qid=1576438033&s=grocery&sprefix=cinnamon+%2Cgrocery%2C170&sr=1-11
Ginger (few small pieces)
Raw honey
Cheese cloth/nut milk bag: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Premium-Food-Grade-Almond/dp/B00158U8DU/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1AIAIU3PTXUIF&keywords=nut+milk+bag&qid=1576438184&s=grocery&sprefix=nut+milk%2Cgrocery%2C192&sr=1-8
Direction:
In a pressure cooker, add dried elderberries, water, cinnamon stick, ginger and water.
I use the soup setting and set it for 20 minutes.
Once done, remove and drain, seperate syrup from ingredients.
Use the cheese cloth to pour in ingredients and squeeze the remainder of the syrup out.
Let the syrup cool down for 5-7 minutes.
Mix in honey. (do not add in honey for children under the age of 1)
Pour into container (mason jar is what I used) and store in the fridge.
Usage:
Prevention Dosing:
6 months to 1 year: Elderberry syrup without honey 5 drops twice a day
Please note that it would be appropriate to treat this as a new food for the youngest infants i.e. try one dose and wait 3-5 days to ensure no reaction before starting another new food and/or starting a daily regimen.
One year and older:
20 lbs to 30 lbs: Elderberry syrup 1/2 tsp twice a day
30 lbs to 90 lbs: Elderberry syrup 1 tsp twice a day
Adults including pregnant and breastfeeding mothers:
Elderberry syrup 1 to 2 tsp twice a day
Treatment Dosing: (as soon as a child appears to be starting a cold):
6 months to 1 year: Elderberry syrup without honey 10 drops every 4 hours
As above, please note that it would be appropriate to treat this as a new food for the youngest infants i.e. try one dose and wait 3-5 days to ensure no reaction before starting another new food and/or starting a daily regimen.
One year and older:
20 lbs to 30 lbs: Elderberry syrup 1/2 tsp every 4 hours
30 lbs to 90 lbs: Elderberry syrup 1 tsp every 4 hours
Adults including pregnant and breastfeeding mothers:
Elderberry syrup 1 to 2 tsp every 4 hours
Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjTOUFT6A-c&feature=youtu.be
