Elder: What Do We Really Know?

Elder provides an excellent example of why traditional knowledge and modern clinical evidence should be distinguished carefully. The most convincing human research concerns standardized elderberry preparations used for cold, influenza and other upper respiratory...

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...

What Gives Elder Its Power?

Elder is particularly interesting because its berries and flowers have different chemical profiles, even though they come from the same plant. The dark colour of elderberries comes from compounds called anthocyanins, especially cyanidin derivatives. These natural...

Can the Smell of Rosemary Make You More Alert?

Rosemary’s strong, fresh aroma is more than simply a pleasant smell. It has also become a subject of scientific research. Rosemary essential oil contains volatile compounds such as 1,8-cineole, α-pinene and camphor. Because these compounds reach our sensory...

Rosemary: What Do We Really Know?

Modern research suggests that rosemary has several promising applications, but the clinical evidence is not yet equally strong across all of them. Oral rosemary extracts have produced interesting human findings in areas such as cognitive performance, mood, fatigue and...