One berry with a reputation for antiviral properties is the elderberry. Sambucus nigra, also known as the European elder, is the most popular variety for medicinal usage, but several other species exist as well. The European elder is native to Africa and parts of Asia as well as Europe, and nowadays it grows in the United States as well. The use of elderberry, and supplements made from it, to prevent or treat illnesses is a type of alternative or complementary medicine. Seek advice from your medical provider before relying on such treatments.
Identification
Sambucus nigra is a shrub or tree with berries that start out green and then turn red and finally black as they ripen, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It is native to Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, but has become naturalized in the United States. It can grow as tall as 30 feet. Elderberry leaves grow in opposing pairs, with five to seven leaflets.
Benefits
Viral illnesses against which elderberry may work include colds and influenza, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Commercially produced elderberry products showed action against 10 strains of influenza and may also boost healthy immune systems, Vivian Barak, of Hadassah University Hospital in Israel, reported with colleagues in the biology journal European Cytokine Network in 2001. Other uses, according to the University of Maryland, include relieving nasal congestion and, when applied topically, treating wounds.
Administration
You find elderberry preparations in several forms, including capsules, lozenges, liquid, tincture and syrup. For an adult with a cold or the flu, a standard dose of a 38-percent elderberry liquid extract would be 4 tbsp. a day for three days, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. For a tea, boil 1 cup of water and steep between 3 grams and 5 grams of dried elder flower for between 10 and 15 minutes. Strain the tea and drink it three times each day.
Warning
Elderberry can be poisonous. The berries are safe for consumption only after they are cooked. Raw berries contain a chemical related to cyanide, as do the plant's seeds, bark and leaves, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Avoid the species Sambucus ebulus, or dwarf elder, altogether because of potential toxicity. Use elderberry from a reliable source.
Alternative Option
Another berry that may be antiviral is that of the pokeweed plant, Phytolacca americana. Pokeweed, an herb native to eastern North America, can grow as tall as 10 feet. One agent in the plant, called pokeweed antiviral protein, shows action in molecular and animal studies against herpes, human immunodeficiency virus and cancerous tumors, but human studies have not been completed, according to the American Cancer Society.
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