Where Does Elder Have the Strongest Evidence?

The strongest clinical evidence for Sambucus nigra concerns elderberry fruit extracts and upper respiratory symptoms.

Randomized controlled trials have investigated standardized elderberry preparations in people with influenza and cold-like illnesses. Some studies found that people taking elderberry experienced shorter illness duration and less severe symptoms than those receiving placebo.

One study involving more than 300 long-haul air travellers produced an interesting result. Elderberry did not significantly reduce the number of people who developed a cold, but those who did become ill experienced shorter and less severe cold episodes.

Reviews and analyses combining several clinical trials have also reported encouraging results for upper respiratory symptoms. However, the total number of good-quality studies is still relatively small, so the evidence should not be overstated.

Importantly, most of this human research concerns elderberries – not elderflowers. Although elderflower has a long tradition of use for colds and feverish conditions, strong clinical evidence for elderflower alone is much more limited.