What’s your immune health go-to tradition?
Around the world, traditions for health have been passed from generation to generation for many years.
Growing up, if you felt under the weather, your mother might have fixed you a steaming bowl of chicken soup. As an adult, you may reach for a cup of ginger tea for an upset stomach without thinking twice.
We’ve come to associate certain foods with specific qualities. One food in particular has held strong associations for immune health for centuries in Europe and North America.
Elderberries, the fruit of the Sambucus or European elder plant (not to be confused wth the North American Elder tree), contain compounds and substances that powerfully support immune and respiratory health.
Native Americans and European herbalists have long used elderberries for their unique health-promoting qualities. Records of their use date back to medieval times. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, referred to elderberry as “nature’s medicine chest”.
Move Over Vitamin C... Elderberry Joins the Immune Support Powerhouse Team
The European black elderberry offers many immune health-supporting benefits.
Vitamin C has enjoyed a long history as the go-to nutrient for immune support. While it remains the ‘grandfather’ of antioxidants, elderberry is quickly approaching equal status for immune health.
Research shows the European black elderberry offers broad immune support benefits along with extremely high-antioxidant activity.
Elderberries are widely respected because of their unique polyphenol compounds called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid or the natural pigments that give fruits and vegetables their colors. These pigments contain high concentrations of antioxidants.
Generally speaking, the brighter or deeper the color, the higher the flavonoid concentration. Because of its deep, almost black color, elderberry is “king”.
Elderberry contains:
- Nearly four times the anthocyanins as other commonly consumed berries.
- A unique anthocyanin profile including cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-sambubioside and syanidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside.
- Important flavonoids like quercetin, delphinidin and catechins.
Research shows that a higher consumption of anthocyanins may be linked to an already healthy inflammatory response, optimal cardiovascular and cellular health, improvement in insulin resistance, restored glucose tolerance and lower body weight.
How Elderberry Can Support Your Health Not Just During the Winter Months but Year-Round
Elderberry is best known for supporting respiratory and immune health, but it may offer other benefits, too.
Most people associate elderberry with seasonal health issues, and they’re absolutely correct in doing so.
A study of patients experiencing symptoms, like sniffling, coughing and acute headache for 48 hours or less, received a dose of elderberry multiple times a day for five days. Compared to the control group, their symptoms were relieved on average four days earlier.
However, research suggests these purple-black berries may be valuable for far more. Here are some of elderberry’s other potential benefits:
- Supports a healthy immune system*
- Promotes a normal healthy stress response*
- Supports performance, enabling longer, harder workouts*
- Supports cardiovascular health*
- Promotes healthy cellular aging*
- Supports an already healthy inflammatory response*
Researchers believe elderberry supports levels of cytokines – or proteins that act as messengers in your immune system that promote a sufficient and timely response.
As much of your immune system is located in your gut, elderberry may support immune function by nourishing your gut’s microbiome.
How Elderberry Helps Protect Your Mitochondrial and Cardiovascular Health
The anthocyanins in elderberry merge with your cells' membranes (the outer edge of the cell) to protect against the damaging effects of oxidative stress.
The anthocyanins in elderberry (especially cyanide-3-glucoside) are well known for their ability to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage your cells’ mitochondria.
By incorporating themselves into the outer membranes of your cells, these antioxidants protect your cells against the damaging effects of oxidative stress.
Anthocyanins also have a profound effect on your cardiovascular health. The endothelial cells that line your vascular system play a crucial role in blood flow regulation and overall vascular tone.
By promoting healthy normal blood flow to your organs and skin, anthocyanins support healthy organ function and help prevent premature cellular aging.
Researchers also believe the anthocyanins in elderberry may support healthy HDL and LDL cholesterol levels already in the normal range.
Anthocyanins are well absorbed, too, and can cross your blood-brain barrier to benefit your eyes and brain. One study with elderly women detected anthocyanins as bioavailable glycosides in both plasma and urine after just a single dose of a standardized elderberry extract.
Could Elderberry Become Your New Workout Partner?
Elderberry may help you exercise longer and harder.
Imagine a workout partner that could help you get through periods of low energy, allow you to recover faster and help maintain your health, all at the same time…
Research suggests elderberry may do just that.
Taking European black elderberry before and after a workout may help:
- Reduce the production of stress hormones
- Protect your cells and tissues from free radical damage
- Enhance your performance
- Shorten your recovery time
- Prevent premature cellular aging
- Reduce and delay lactic acid production
High intensity exercise is stressful to the body and can lead to an increased production of free radicals and oxidative stress. Free radicals harm healthy cells by stealing their electrons.
The antioxidants in elderberry function by donating electrons to free radicals, which helps reduce their levels.
Reducing free radicals not only helps prevent damage, but also eases the soreness associated with exercise.
Feeling less stress and discomfort after working out can help you train harder and more often.
European black elderberry also contains magnesium, an important mineral that plays a role in nerve and muscle function, immune function, bone health and energy production. The unique combination of magnesium and antioxidants may result in less buildup of lactic acid during exercise that can also shorten recovery time.
What to Look for When Buying an Elderberry Extract
Not all elderberry formulas are the same. Depending on which species of the herb is used, it may have different effects on your body. Here are the questions to ask yourself when choosing an elderberry supplement:
- Is it made from organic elderberries?
The non-organic capsule contains two forms of organic elderberries - Organic Fermented Whole Fruit Elderberry Powder and Organic Elderberry Extract.
Non-organic elderberries can contain traces of pesticides and herbicides and genetically engineered ingredients.
- What species of elderberry is used – is it made from Sambuscus nigra or another species?
Most of the research has been done on extracts of Sambuscus nigra or European black elderberry.
- Is the formula made from the whole fruit berries or other part of the plant?
The highest antioxidant content, or ORAC value, is found in the berries.
- Is the extract standardized?
If not, it’s anyone’s guess as to its antioxidant content.
- How many forms of elderberry does it contain?
A combination with elderberry powder offers potentially greater benefits.
- How is it processed?
Certain processing methods yield greater amounts of immune-supporting phytonutrients than others.
- Is it made by a trusted manufacturer?
Make sure you’re getting what the label states, without contaminants.
Our Fermented Elderberry Takes Elderberry to a Whole New Level
Elderberry is simply one of the best substances I know of for both seasonal and everyday immune challengers. However, my team and I didn’t want to roll out another elderberry syrup or lozenge.
Because we have gained extensive experience working with fermented ingredients, we know that by fermenting a plant substance, we can optimize its benefits. Fermentation can change the nutritional makeup of a food by:
- Helping pre-digest ingredients
- Increasing levels of certain nutrients
- Improving mineral bio-accessibility
- Increasing bioavailability of antioxidants
- Creating unique metabolites
By adding fermented whole fruit elderberry powder to our formula, we knew we could increase the bioavailability – or your body’s usability – of its antioxidants.
And we knew fermentation could reduce elderberry’s naturally occurring sugar.
Each one capsule dose of our Fermented Elderberry contains:
- 500 mg Organic Fermented Whole Fruit Elderberry Powder
- 250 mg Organic Elderberry Extract, standardized with a minimum of 13% anthocyanins and a minimum phenol level of 17%
- 1 gram of net carbs
We source our elderberries for the extract from the famous grape-growing regions of Austria. Grown in mineral and nutrient-rich soil, these elderberries contain high levels of flavonoids, making them perhaps the finest in the world.
Besides choosing premium elderberries and fermented elderberry powder for a lower sugar content, there’s one more thing that really sets our finished product apart from other elderberry supplements…
Our partner in Italy has a unique way of processing the whole elderberry fruit to maximize its potential benefits. By using a proprietary solvent-free process called Holistic Membrane Extraction™ (HME), they’re able to deliver extracts representing the whole fruit matrix with all of its immune-supporting phytonutrients.
Dreading Your Next Flight? Don’t Leave Home Without Our Fermented Elderberry
Planes are not required to use effective HEPA filters for purifying cabin air.
Many people dread public long distance travel, but not for the reasons you might think…
Long distance travel, especially intercontinental flights, is stressful on both your physical and psychological health.
Riding in a confined space for hours on end can be unnerving – especially when the passenger sitting next to you is sniffling, coughing or sneezing.
It’s no secret that air transportation can be a vehicle for the rapid spread of communicable illness. Infections can be transmitted both through the air and by direct contact with contaminated surfaces.
While most of today’s commercial flights utilize high-efficiency air filtering systems designed to help prevent recirculating contaminated air, they’re not required to use them.
And even the best cabin air filtering may not protect you from your closest fellow passengers…
Studies show that anyone sitting within two rows of you in a confined space for an extended period can become a threat. It’s up to you to protect yourself.
So what can you do, besides avoiding long distance travel all together?
I suggest packing along our Fermented Elderberry. For best results, start taking it one week to 10 days before you start traveling, and take for the duration of your trip. Continue taking it for at least four days after returning home.
A recent study of 312 economy class passengers travelling from Australia to an oversees destination looked at the effects of elderberry on physical (especially respiratory health) and mental health.
Researchers used a membrane filtered standardized elderberry extract (Sambuscus nigra), similar to the extract used in Fermented Elderberry only without the added potential benefits from the fermented whole fruit elderberry powder.
Compared to the placebo group who didn’t receive elderberry, those in the elderberry extract group experienced a significant reduction in both symptom duration and severity.*
Combine Our Fermented Elderberry with Our Liposomal Vitamin C and Fermented Beta Glucans for Rock-Solid Immune Support You Can Depend Upon*
For the ultimate in immune system support at times when you may need it most, I believe in pulling out the complete arsenal…
When you take our Fermented Elderberry along with our Liposomal Vitamin C and Fermented Beta Glucans, you get potent immune support to help you face the most potent threats with confidence:*
Fermented Elderberry contains two different forms of antioxidant-rich elderberry, including fermented elderberry powder for enhanced bioavailability and reduced sugar, eliminating a common concern with some other elderberry supplements.
Liposomal Vitamin C utilizes liposomal technology and phospholipids for greater bioavailability and effective vitamin C oral supplementation, without the undesirable side effects associated with high-dose oral vitamin C supplements.
Fermented Beta Glucans contains 1,3 beta-D-glucan that directly interacts with key immune cells and clinically proven EpiCor® yeast fermentate for a balanced immune system and support for your immune function on four different levels.*
Be ready for what may come your way with our three-way immune support package!
Stock up on Fermented Elderberry Today and Support Your Immune Health*
Don’t let seasonal health challenges sneak up on you. Being prepared in advance can make all the difference in your fight to stay well. Because you never know when it’s going to happen…
Have an important trip coming up? Stock up on Fermented Elderberry now, and travel with confidence.*
But that’s not all our Fermented Elderberry can offer you. In addition to helping to maintain proper immune function, this immune support powerhouse can also:*
- Support your cardiovascular health*
- Promote healthy cellular aging*
- Support an already healthy inflammatory response*
- Promote a normal healthy stress response*
- Promote enhanced athletic performance, helping you to work out longer and harder*
Take Control of Your Health™ today, and order Fermented Elderberry.