to avoid standardized or chemically altered extracts. Standardized extracts are made by isolating and refining a certain constituent out of a plant. These extracts often cause more unwanted side effects because the isolated constituent is no longer balanced by the rest of the plant’s properties. When choosing herbal products at the store look for non-standardized and additive free preparations; these types of products will deliver the safest medicine, with the most purity.
One of my Favorite Winter Herbs …
Elderberry/flower Sambucus spp.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, just outside of Eugene, Oregon. I am fortunate to have access to groves of elderberry amongst the 200+ year old trees in the areas surrounding the Siuslaw National Forest. I love this time of year when the elderberries in this area (Sambucus cerulea) are ripe and plump on the branches. The weather is changing and the forest energy changes with it. The carefree energy of summer is replaced with a transition into a wise and calculated vibe. Everything is heavy to harvest and preserve. The seeds have come to fruit and the efforts now will further everything into the next level. I always loved the mist that gathers around the elder trees at the end of the day as the autumn sun starts to set. The scent of forest moss and blooming mushrooms in the rich moistness always add an element of bliss and mystic while picking elderberries. This plant has a lot of universal energy. I have found it to be very versatile for lots of different types of people.
Elderberry has a reputation for being one of the most effective anti viral herbs. It has been proven effective in numerous studies. A 2001 study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine stated that elderberry extracts are “natural remedies with antiviral properties, especially against different strains of influenza virus.” Another 2004 study published in the NLM commented on reduced duration of flu symptoms when using elderberry: “Symptoms were relieved on average four days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo.” University of Maryland Medial Center writes “Elderberry may have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties” and “one study suggested that elderberry could kill the H1N1 virus.”