In light of COVID-19, many people have become increasingly concerned about their immunity. A weakened immune system could leave you susceptible to disease. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can boost your immunity to safeguard your overall health.
Nearly 3% of adults in the US have a weakened immune system. Taking nutritional supplements like elderberries might help.
What is elderberry good for, exactly? How can the elderberry plant improve your overall health? Keep reading to find out!
After reading this guide, you could realize there are supplements missing from your daily routine. Adding the right supplements to your diet could minimize health concerns in the future.
Read on to discover the amazing elderberry benefits you could experience today!
1. Improve Digestive Health
You might consider using elderberry supplements to improve your digestive health.
Elderberries are a good source of fiber. Fiber can enhance your digestion. You could remedy digestive issues like stomach upset, bloating, gas, and constipation as a result.
2. Aid Weight Loss
Since elderberries are rich in fiber, they could improve satiety. Feeling full longer could aid your weight loss goals.
In one study, participants that consumed elderberry juice enriched with elderflower saw an improvement in weight regulation.
In the study, participants lost an average of 3.2 kg after a 2-week diet supplemented by elderflower and elderberry.
Combining a low-carb, low-fat diet with elderberry could help improve your weight loss goals.
3. Boost Immunity
One of the major elderberry benefits people consider is the immunity boost it can provide.
Black elderberry flower infusions and extracts could reduce the length and severity of influenza.
In fact, the elderberry plant is now prepared in different forms to treat colds, including:
- Liquids (like elderberry syrup)
- Lozenges
- Gummies
- Capsules
In one study, patients with influenza took 14 mL of elderberry syrup four times a day. They experienced symptom improvement in 2 to 4 days. The control group, on the other hand, took 7 to 8 days to improve.
Taking elderberry nutritional supplements could shorten the duration of an illness if you get sick. It might reduce the severity of your symptoms as well.
However, more large-scale studies are needed to confirm these results. Researchers are still learning more about how elderberry might prevent influenza.
Elderberries are also very high in antioxidants. Antioxidants can fight free radicals in the body that would otherwise cause oxidative stress. Without antioxidants, free radicals could cause cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases.
Antioxidants might boost your immunity to help prevent chronic disease.
The leaves, fruits, and flowers from the elderberry plant are all high in antioxidants. These antioxidants could reduce inflammation and oxidative tissue damage.
However, heating, extracting, or juicing elderberries might reduce their antioxidant activities. Instead of juice, jam, elderberry tea, or syrup, consider nutritional supplements. They might contain higher amounts of antioxidants.
Here are a few more ways to achieve optimal health.
4. Strengthen Bones
What is elderberry good for? Its calcium, iron, and potassium levels might strengthen your bones. they could increase your bone mineral density, too.
Elderberry could reduce your risk of osteoporosis as a result.
The anthocyanins in the berries might even help prevent bone loss.
5. Could Help Treat Diabetes
Consuming products made from the elderberry plant might lower your blood sugar levels. They could aid diabetes treatment as a result.
These studies are limited, though. Make sure to talk to your doctor before adding new nutritional supplements to your routine.
6. Enhance Heart Health
Using elderberry supplements might improve your heart and blood vessel health.
Elderberry juice could reduce the level of fat in your blood. It might decrease cholesterol levels, too. Meanwhile, the high level of flavonoids could reduce your risk of heart disease.
In one study on mice with high cholesterol, a diet including black elderberry reduced the amount of cholesterol in the liver and aorta. Elderberry reduced their high blood pressure levels, too.
Consuming the elderberry plant might reduce levels of uric acid in the blood. Otherwise, high levels could cause increased blood pressure. Uric acid might have a negative impact on your heart health, too.
Elderberry might also increase insulin secretion. It could improve blood sugar levels and minimize your risk of type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar management could reduce your risk of heart and vascular disease.
We need more research to confirm these findings, though.
7. Improve Skin and Hair Health
The antioxidants found in elderberries could benefit your skin and hair health, too.
Elderberries have innate anti-aging properties. They could keep your skin radiant for longer periods as a result.
They might also act as a natural detoxifying agent. Elderberries might help prevent breakouts, scars, boils, and other skin conditions.
Anthocyanins are the compounds that give elderberries their red hue. They could naturally boost your skin health by protecting it from damage.
8. Could Help Prevent Cancer
The quercetin in elderberries might provide therapeutic effects that can stimulate the immune system. Elderberries might aid in cancer treatment as a result.
They might even benefit patients with prostate cancer. The berries could trigger a biochemical process called hedgehog signaling. This process is linked to cancer.
9. Improve Vision
Elderberries are rich in both vitamin A and B6. These vitamins could help prevent serious vision ailments. For example, they might reduce your risk of macular degeneration and glaucoma.
The antioxidants in the elderberry plant might improve your vision health as well.
10. Fight Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to fighting off illness or invaders. Too much inflammation, however, can cause negative effects. In fact, excessive inflammation might contribute to:
- Asthma
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Nutritional supplements containing elderberries might help fight inflammation.
11. Boost Brain Health
The anthocyanins in elderberries might help treat cognitive impairment. It could help patients with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases as a result.
Elderberries also contain quercetin, which is critical for bone health.
12. Help Urinary Tract Infections
Though there’s limited research on the topic, elderberry juice might reduce inflammation in the urinary tract. It could help treat urinary tract infections as a result.
Berry Beneficial: 12 Potential Health Benefits of Elderberry Nutritional Supplements
Don’t miss an opportunity to give your overall health a boost. Instead, consider these 12 potential health benefits of consuming elderberries. With elderberry nutritional supplements, you could safeguard your body from future illness or disease.
Looking for more ways to improve your health? We’re here to help.
Contact us today to get started.