Elderberry against influenza: how elderberry helps our immune system against viruses

Scientists have succeeded in demonstrating in laboratory the beneficial properties of the elder that manages to counteract the influenza virus and activate the response of our immune system. Let's see together how elderberry juice can help us heal from the influenza, here's what we need to know.

The elderberry is able to inhibit the entrance of the influenza virus into our body and its replication in the cells helping us also to strengthen the immune system response, this is the conclusion reached by the scientists of the University of Sydney, let’s see in detail how is it possible.

Elderberry, a health aid

The plants have a beneficial effect on our health that scientists are succeeding in demonstrating through experiments, to be the object of study this time is the elderberry. Elderberry is a plant, a small tree, very common in Europe, whose flowers are used in herbal medicine to fight inflammation and infections. The flowers also yield a very refreshing syrup and sambuca, a liqueur.

Elderberry against viruses

To understand the beneficial effects of elderberry, the experts analyzed the mechanisms by which photochemicals, that are compounds that have beneficial consequences on health, fight typical infections of the influenza. The data collected showed that the elderberry has a powerful antiviral effect directed against the influenza virus because it manages to inhibit the first stages of an infection by blocking the viral proteins responsible for viral attachment and entry into host cells.

An unexpected effect

 Experts explain that tests carried out with elderberry juice showed greater efficacy against viruses when the cells had already been infected. "This observational study was quite surprising and quite significant because blocking the viral cycle in several phases has a greater chance of inhibiting the viral infection", explained Dr. Peter Valtchev. The interesting and useful aspect is that the elderberry releases cytokines that the immune system uses for communication between different types of cells to coordinate a more efficient response against the invading pathogen.

The study, entitled "Anti-influenza activity of elderberry (Sambucus nigra)", was published in the Journal of Functional Foods.