Elderberry Protects People From Viruses and Infection During Air Travel, Research Shows

 

 

 

 

Are you a peripatetic (someone who likes to travel a lot), especially by plane?

If so, you may want to consider taking an elderberry supplement with you on your next flight.

While it’s just now catching on in the mainstream, the highly medicinal fruit has long been a favorite among traditional herbalists and naturopaths for flu season.

Lately, science has confirmed what many already knew: elderberry is one of the most potent anti-viral substances available, and should be a mainstay in just about everybody’s at-home natural medicine cabinet.

 

 

The industry website Nutritional Outlook recently shared the good news surrounding elderberry: the dietary supplement showed “enormous” growth in recent months, with sales surpassing the $100 million mark during last flu season.

 

 

Elderberry Directly Inhibits Viral Replication

Elderberry has become more popular in large part because it is more widely available at health food stores, and researchers from The University of Sydney found out exactly how it’s able to keep viruses at bay, according to a 2019 study.

From the research, posted in a recent Science Daily article:

“Conducted by Professor Fariba Deghani, Dr. Golnoosh Torabian and Dr. Peter Valtchev, the study showed that compounds from elderberries can directly inhibit the virus’s entry and replication in human cells, and can help strengthen a person’s immune response to the virus.”

“What our study has shown is that the common elderberry has a potent direct antiviral effect against the flu virus,” said Dr. Torabian said.

“It inhibits the early stages of an infection by blocking key viral proteins responsible for both the viral attachment and entry into the host cells.”

Elderberry: One of the Best Supplements for Air Travelers to Bring

In 2012, an in vitro study found that the anthocyanins in elderberries have a prebiotic effect, supporting health gut bacteria while inhibiting the hostile bacteria that ultimately makes us sick.

The study was based on the type of black elderberry found in Sambucus, the top-selling elderberry supplement brand.

Studies have also found that elderberry can be used to support travelers by helping to protect against the common cold and influenza.

In 2016 a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of 312 economy class flight passengers traveling from Australia to an overseas destination investigated whether elderberry extract has highly beneficial effects on physical, especially respiratory, and mental, health.

One of them was Dominique Michelle Astorino, an Australian writer and traveler who took upwards of 50 flights in a two year period and said that elderberry was her number one go-to supplement for never getting sick, according to a report from The Daily Mail. 

The evidence backs her up: another 2016 Australian study found that people who take elderberry tablets ten days before flying became those most resilient to common infections like the flu, something that everyone should know in light of the viral diseases currently plaguing our society, especially during the fall and winter months.

Thumbnail photo via AdamantKitchen.com. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a naturopathic doctor before trying elderberry or elderberry products. 

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