Elderberry Is a Powerful Antiviral

Elderberry contains zinc4 and antioxidants, including vitamin C5 and anthocyanin6 (a flavonoid found in blue and purple fruits and berries), known for their ability to boost immune function and inhibit cold and flu.

One 2004 study found taking 15 milliliters (just under 1 tablespoon) of elderberry syrup four times a day for five days eased symptoms of influenza four days quicker than a placebo. According to the authors,8 “Elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza.”

Most recently, research9 published in the March 2019 issue of the Journal of Functional Foods details the actual mechanism by which elderberry protects against influenza and other viral attacks. As reported by Science Daily:10

“Conducted by Professor Fariba Deghani, Dr. Golnoosh Torabian and Dr. Peter Valtchev … the study showed that compounds from elderberries can directly inhibit the virus's entry and replication in human cells, and can help strengthen a person's immune response to the virus.

Although elderberry's flu-fighting properties have long been observed, the group performed a comprehensive examination of the mechanism by which phytochemicals from elderberries combat influenza infections.

‘What our study has shown is that the common elderberry has a potent direct antiviral effect against the flu virus,’ said … Torabian. ‘It inhibits the early stages of an infection by blocking key viral proteins responsible for both the viral attachment and entry into the host cells.’"

Interestingly, the elderberry juice not only was able to prevent the virus from entering and infecting the cells in the first place, but it also inhibited late-stage propagation of the virus in cells that had already been infected. What’s more, this late-stage inhibition was even stronger than its action during the initial infection stage.

According to Valtchev,11 “This observation was quite surprising and rather significant because blocking the viral cycle at several stages has a higher chance of inhibiting the viral infection.”

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/10/21/elderberry-extract-for-influenza.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016