Elderberry syrup vs the flu — the big trial nobody posts about
- Claim
- ELDERBERRY SYRUP VS THE FLU
- Catch
- RAW = NOT SAFE
- Verdict
- THE CATCH SCIENCE
Elderberry syrup is the autumn bestseller for flu. The classic evidence: a randomized, placebo-controlled Norwegian trial (Zakay-Rones 2004, J Int Med Res; DOI 10.1177/147323000403200205) in 60 adults with influenza found symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier with elderberry syrup (15 ml, 4x/day, 5 days) and less rescue medication. A second trial (Tiralongo 2016, Nutrients; DOI 10.3390/nu8040182) put 312 air travelers on elderberry for 16 days: fewer cold episode days (117 in placebo vs 57), though the number of people who caught a cold wasn't statistically different. But the splashy claims have a ceiling: a 2020 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 87 emergency-room patients found NO difference — complete symptom resolution took 8.7 days with elderberry vs 8.6 days with placebo. The catch: the positive trials were small tests of specific branded syrups in healthy young adults during flu season; the largest trial to date was null; and raw or under-ripe berries are not safe food (they can cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) — the cooked syrup is the tested form. Severe breathing trouble or an unbroken fever is a doctor visit, not a spoonful of syrup.
SOURCES
- Zakay-Rones Z, et al. "Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B," J Int Med Res 2004;32(2):132-40. DOI: 10.1177/147323000403200205
- Tiralongo E, et al. "Elderberry Supplementation Reduces Cold Duration and Symptoms in Air-Travellers," Nutrients 2016;8(4):182. DOI: 10.3390/nu8040182
- Elderberry Extract Outpatient Influenza Treatment for ER Patients (randomized placebo-controlled, 87 participants, 2020). PMID: 32929634
- Macknin M, et al. "Elderberry for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses: a systematic review," 2021. PMC8026097
For information only, not medical advice. If you have breathing trouble, high fever or flu risk factors, talk to a doctor.
