Elderberry Tea Benefits [Natural Remedy]

Today you will discover the Top 12 Elderberry Tea Health Benefits and Uses.

Elderberry plant has been a folk remedy for thousands of years in Europe, North America, North Africa, and western Asia.

With evidence of having been cultivated by prehistoric man, it is clear that this plant played a major role in traditional herbal medicine.

Today, numerous studies have been conducted to show its effectiveness in modern medicine.

It’s known for its antioxidant activity, boosting the immune system, treating respiratory problems as well as improving vision.

What is Elderberry Tea?

With a long history dating back to ancient Greeks and Egyptian, this plant has remained relevant with the recent studies indicating that it has a lot to give. While we have various species of this plant the European Elder, or Sambucus Nigra Alias the black elder is the most common when it comes to medical application.

Elderberry tea is derived from elderberry flowers that grow early in the blooming season. Also referred as Sambucus, this plant has a long history of medicinal use. The plant has been used for many centuries in Americans.

Elderberry is a shrub native to America, but we also have other varieties growing in Europe. The main health benefits are derived because of its rich concentrations of, quercetin, cinnamic acid, anthocyanins, triterpenoids flavonoids, as well as antioxidants.

Many Health Benefits of Elderberry Tea

Below are some of the benefits that you can get from consuming elderberry on a regular basis.

Reducing Blood Sugar Level

For many years, the elderberry has been used in treating diabetes. Recent research has confirmed that there are various compounds in the elderflower that helps to stimulate metabolism and secretion of insulin, which in turns lowers the level of blood sugar.

According to a study in the Journal of Nutrition, to evaluate the properties of elderberry insulin production stimulation, the aqueous extract increased the glucose oxidation and transport without adding any insulin. The exact also increased glycogenesis (a process of removing excess sugar from the body) assisting to maintain the normal blood sugar levels(¹).

Natural Diuretic

The elderberry is said to promote bowel movement and urination. Research indicates that the plant has natural diuretic effects(²). Generally, a substance, which is known as a diuretic, is said to help in urine production. A doctor may prescribe this natural diuretic to people suffering from retaining of too many fluids in the body. This is a common condition amongst the elderly.

Vision Health

Since the Elderberry contains high levels of vitamin A, a primary vision health booster, consuming this tea regularly can help in improving your vision health. Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant that prevents macular degeneration. By doing this, it will slow down cataracts development as you, continue to age.

Metabolic Function

Boasting of various B family vitamins, the elderberry also plays a major role when it comes to boosting the metabolism. By increasing the body metabolism, more fat is burnt which assist in your weight loss efforts. Besides, this will also optimize several body processes that are related to digestion and hormones.

Detoxify the Body

As mentioned, this plant is said to process natural diuretic effects. Additionally, this plant also has laxative effects. Combining these two helps the body to detox by expelling the excess toxins, fats, and salts during urination. As a natural laxative, consuming this tea will help ease constipation, reduce the hemorrhoids occurrence while still maximizing the efficiency of nutrients uptake.

Indigestion

Thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory compounds, the elderberry tea is also said to reduce acid reflux, excess flatulence, as well as stomach upset. For this reason, it is advisable to drink this tea after or before meals. As mentioned earlier this tea also helps to ease constipation.

To test the effectiveness of this plant in easing constipation, random tests were done in Brazil with compounds that contained elderberry. The results indicated that it acted as a natural laxative, which helps in constipation treatment.

Respiratory Infections

Traditionally, the elderberry was used in treating respiratory infections, coughs bronchitis, and congestion.

Research points that the elderberries contain volatile compounds that offer good expectorant and decongestant properties.

This means that they can be used in easing the respiratory tracts inflammation.

This as well as removal of phlegm and mucus where pathogens and bacteria tend to thrive.

Immune System

Consuming the elderberry tea will also boost your immune system. The elderberry is a rich vitamin c source. As you probably know, vitamin C helps in white blood cell production. White blood cells are crucial in fighting infection and potential illnesses caused by bacteria.

Additionally, the ascorbic acid found in this tea also helps in fighting the free radicals as well as lowering the oxidation stress. This allows the body to focus on attacking disease-causing pathogens and bacteria.

Encourage Healthy Skin

Besides aging, many factors cause our skin to appear old. This includes use of harsh chemicals, excess air condition, poor diet, as well as excess sunlight. If you are interested in getting beautiful skin, you can take advantage of this plant.

Researchers have also indicated that these are active compounds in the elderberry that gives the skin a natural boost. With this being said, it doesn’t come as a surprise when you find most cosmetics and skin care products containing this product.

Ease Allergies

The elder plant flowers are proven as an effective herbal allergy remedy. Because allergies are primarily related to the overreaction of the immune system and inflammation, the ability of this plant to boost immune system as well as calming inflammation makes it a great allergy reliever.

Traditional herbalist considered the elderflower as one of the best herbs to treating hay fever-like conditions. It is also effective in combating allergies especially when it is combined with other herbs.

Pain and Inflammation

With modern research finding some analgesic properties in the elderberry tea, it answers the question traditional medicine men used it as a pain reliever for many centuries.

This tea is very popular for individuals suffering from joint disorders and back pain. Besides, this tea has also been used traditionally for treating arthritis symptoms.

May Help Cancer

The mere mention of the word cancer sends shivers down to most individual’s spines. The good news is that by consuming this tea, you can reduce the risk of this killer disease attacking your body(³).

Because of the presence of the triterpenoid, flavonoids, cinnamic acid among other compounds, medical experts have linked elderberry tea to cancer prevention.

Although tests are still being conducted to show its effectiveness, we have conclusive results that show that the antioxidants in the tea help prevent cell mutation, oxidative stress, as well as apoptosis in healthy cells. However some clinical trials ” indicate weak chemopreventive properties “(⁴)

How to Use Elderberry

The elderberry tea is quite popular especially when it comes to dealing with flu and cold. On the other hand, the elderberry syrup is popular when treating the upper respiratory issues you can purchase the elderberry from your local or online health store. Below are some of the forms that you can get the elderberry:

• Tea
• Juice
• Wine
• Pills
• Ointments
• Syrup
• Jelly and jams
• Sprays
• Powder
• Lozenges
• Infusions
• Liquid

Elderberry Vitamins and Minerals

Elderberry Vitamins and Minerals	Per 100g of Fruit
Vitamin A	600 IU
Vitamin C	18-26 mg
Folic acid	17 mg
Biotin	1.8 mg
β-carotene	0.36 mg
Vitamin B6	0.25 mg
Pantothenic acid	0.18 mg
Nicotinamide	1.48 mg
Potassium	288-305 mg
Phosphorus	49-57 mg
Glucose and fructose	7.5%
Pectin	0.16%
Calcium	3%
Magnesium	1%
Iron	8%

How Do You Make Elderberry Tea?

Preparing the elderberry tea is simple, as it requires few ingredients. You simply need to have several elderberry flower heads, mint, and cinnamon. If you prefer syrup, you just need to crush the elderberries.

The short video below shows you how to make elderberry flower tea!

The best thing about the tea prepared from the flower heads is that it is milder and has a better taste. You can either use the unopened flowers to make a strong tea or allow the flowers to bloom to get a sweeter flavored tea.

What you need

• 2 to 3 elderberry flower heads
• A cup of filtered water
• 4 to 5 mint leaves
• A teaspoon of cinnamon

Procedure

• In a teapot, place all the flower heads
• Apply heat on the water until it boils
• Take the water from heat and pour it over the flower heads
• Let the flower steep for about 5 to 8 minutes
• Strain your tea and add the mint leaves and cinnamon

Note: the time that you allow the water to be steep will determine the strength of your beverage. Allowing it to stay for over ten minutes gives a strong taste, which may require sweetening. If need be to use honey to sweeten.

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Elderberry Tea Taste

The elderberry tea had a unique taste depending on the season when it was picked or the variety. Its flavor ranges from tart and tangy to sweet or bitter. The European variety with dark berries tends to have bitter or tart while the American variety is sweet.

Elderberry Tea Side Effects

The main side effects of the elderberry are gastrointestinal, causing vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Generally, this occurs when you consume excessive amounts, or you are allergic to elderberry plant.

Some of the other side effects include:

Autoimmune Disease

While most of the antioxidants available in the elderberry are excellent stimulants for the immune system, they can also exacerbate some autoimmune conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

Diabetic Problems

Since the elderberry has blood sugar lowering capabilities, patients who are hypoglycemic should be careful when using this tea. Consuming high amounts may lead to lowering of blood sugar, which may cause diabetic shock or fainting.

Pregnancy

We have limited research when it comes to the safety of pregnant and breastfeeding women. Since it contains powerful chemicals, we would not recommend its use.

Mistaken Identity

Although this is rare, people can mistake the water hemlock for the elderberry. Water hemlock is lethal and toxic when ingested. To be safe ensure that you know the difference between these plants before picking the leaves.

Conclusion

Consuming the elderberry tea helps in combating various respiratory issues such as flu and cold. In fact, we have medical evidence that shows that consuming the tea will reduce the flu symptoms by an average of four days.

In addition, since it is available in a variety of foam, it is easy to find the form that works best for you. With endless health benefits, you simply need to follow the right dosage to get most out of this plant. Best of luck!

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