Black Elderberry Extract May Speed Up Flu Recovery

OSLO, Norway--A natural black elderberry extract may reduce the symptoms and shorten the duration of flu types A and B, according to a study conducted at the University of Oslo School of Medicine, Norway. Prior research has shown it to be effective in flu type B, according to the study. Flu type A mutates often, yielding a new strain every few years, which is responsible for major epidemics every several years; flu type B is less common and results in a milder illness.

In the randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study, 60 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 54 years who were suffering from flu-like symptoms for 48 hours or less were given either 15 ml of placebo or 15 ml of elderberry extract (in the form of Sambucol, by Natures Way Products Inc., www.naturesway.com) four times a day for five days. The subjects recorded their symptoms in a diary format four times a day during the treatment period and two times a day for nine days after treatment. Flu symptoms disappeared an average of four days earlier in subjects receiving the elderberry extract compared to those receiving placebo; no significant side effects were observed.

The study will be printed in a future issue of The Journal of International Medical Research (www.jimronline.net).