Healthy Benefits Linked To Elderberry Lozenges
|
|
Healthy Benefits Linked To Elderberry Lozenges
Chris Harmen is a writer for Respiratory Guard Elderberry Lozenges (http://www.respiratoryguard.com/product.php). Elderberry extract boosts the immune system and blocks the attack of viruses and is n all-natural, safe flu remedy (http://www.h1n1flucures.com).
For centuries, different cultures have used elderberries as a food source. The elderberry is a shrub or small tree native to the temperate regions of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Berries from the shrub range from black to grayish green. In some countries, it is often added to flavor syrups, wines, cordials and marmalades. These berries has also been used for therapeutic and nutritional purposes. Elixirs made with elderberry fruit have long been used to treat upper respiratory problems, mitigating the severity of symptoms. Like several other fruits and berries, there is a danger if the berry is eaten when unripe since it can contain cyanide.
Long recognized as a remedy for what ails you, there’s now scientific evidence to back up the claims. The first human clinical trial in the 1990s found that when used as a flu remedy, elderberry extract significantly reduces symptoms by approximately 50 percent when compared to placebo groups. In a 2004 study, the results were similar. This fruit is rich in phenolic and polyphenolic compounds that provide health benefits through antioxidant and immune functions that contribute to immune health. Eating the fruit doesn’t pack quite the immunity punch as the extract however, since the elderberry extract has a higher concentration of beneficial components.
The Science Behind Elderberry Extract
Elderberry extract works at a cellular level. Not only is it a good source of flavonoids–antioxidants that stimulate the immune system, but it also works as an anti-inflammatory agent that reduces pain and fever. It also provides quercetin and anthocyanins, both of which also have significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can activate immune cells to assist the body in fighting off viruses. These powerful anti-viral berries are also a source of components known as lectins, which have been shown in laboratory tests to stop replication of many different strains of influenza.
In one European study, people who were given elderberry extract exhibited a greater antibody response to the influenza virus than those who did not receive it. The study also showed that elderberry extract stimulated the immune system to produce infection and disease-fighting proteins. Researchers hope this information will prove beneficial in the future in the treatment of other diseases, such as AIDS and cancer.
Powerful Flu Fighter And Cholesterol Reducer
The anti-viral properties of elderberry extract work as an excellent flu remedy. Studies show that it not only helps ward of the virus at a cellular level, but the extract also shortens the course of the flu significantly, with up to 90 percent of people experiencing almost complete recovery within three days. More significantly, symptoms were eased without serious side effects. It is believed that the extract inhibits an enzyme known as neuraminidase, a protein that promotes the spread of the flu virus within the body.
Other studies have been done to explore elderberry’s effect on other conditions. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that elderberry extract modestly lowered cholesterol levels. The initial effect is believed to be due to the presence of cynidine glucosides in the fruit. Cynidine glucosides have known antioxidant and radical-scavenging effects that might protect cells from oxidative damage, thereby reducing the risk of high cholesterol and its contribution to certain cardiovascular diseases.
How To Get The Benefits–Elderberry Lozenges
Since eating the berries and drinking the fruit don’t have the same concentrated effect as the fruit’s extract, products that contain elderberry extract are the best way to glean the benefits.
Elderberry lozenges provide a safe and rapid ingestion method to provide the human immune system with anti-viral properties that prevent influenza by attaching, or binding, to the influenza virus, rending it incapable of attaching to a host cell, thereby preventing infection.
Looking For More Information?
Make sure to explore other articles in the Alternative Medicine category or contact us to suggest a website or a service to review.
