If I could only have one medicine on the shelf…
As a mom, one of my go-to medicines is Elderberry Syrup. It’s delicious! I can pop it in their mouths as a quick remedy or brew them a tea to sip on. It’s purple which makes it more appealing and the honey and spices I add in to my syrup provide that warm hug feeling. It’s one of my medicines that I always make sure I have a supply of in the fridge throughout the seasons.
When Do I take Elderberry Syrup?
You want to use Elderberry syrup at the first sign of a cold. A tickle in your throat, a pain in your ears, a stuffy nose. Whatever that first sign is for you!
Dose: 1 TSP - TBSP as often as you can during illness. One trick I do is pair it with meal times so I remember to take it. But, if you are really down and out, keep it by your bed side as a tea, or a bottle with a spoon and take a dose every 1-2 hours if you can.
How does Elderberry Syrup work?
Elderberry syrup is anti-inflammatory. It reduces the length of your cold / fly because it interferes with virus replication and strengthens the cell walls to stop the virus from entering healthy cells. They also reducee inflammation across the body and support conditions of rheumatism, gout, and arthritis. (Edwards, 2000; McIntyre, 1996)
An in-vitro study “established that flavonoids from elderberry extract bind to H1N1 virions and, when bound, block the ability of the viruses to infect host cells” (Roschek, et al, 2009).
Is Elderberry Safe for Kids?
The goal of Elderberry Syrup for kids is to help
help expel any mucus with productive coughing
soothe their throat from irritation and inflammation
prevents the virus from entering healthy cells
stimulates the immune response in the body
helps the virus leave the body
speeds up healing time
So basically, when you take Elderberry Syrup your kids are going to recover better and faster.
What about the honey? Isn’t it dangerous to give babies honey?
According to some people, babies younger than 1 year old should not be given honey. Why? A bacteria that can be found in soil or dust can cause botulism in under developed gastrointestinal tracts.
However, it’s really important to note the number of cases and the age at which botulism in infants has been documented.
From 1979 to 2019, 63 laboratory-confirmed cases of infant botulism were confirmed by the Health Canada Botulism Reference Service and the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory for an annual rate of 4.30 cases per million live births. From 1983 to 2018, 57 cases of infant botulism were reported to the CNDSS. Of the 63 cases confirmed by the reference laboratories, the median age of onset was 16 weeks with a range of 2 to 52 weeks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8340675/
So, to put it in perspective, in approximately 40 years there have been 63 confirmed cases across Canada.
Does this warrant such fear for the under 1 crowd when consuming an herbal remedy? How do you feel?
My advice is to make this decision based on your own research.
Personally, if your baby has started eating solids and has experienced a variety of foods, you might feel ready to try honey.
As always, the choice is yours!
All this to say - Elderberry is definitely one of my fav remedies and I keep it in the fridge all year round.
If you need a batch, please reach out. Sometimes we sell out quickly. Currently, as of today’s date, Elderberry Syrup is pick-up only in the West End of Peterborough, On.
—Nessa
