Always Trust Your Elders - Elderberry Extract for Kids

12/17/2007

Flu going round? Now that the federal government has raised concerns about the use of over-the-counter cold and flu medicines for kids, you may be looking for an alternative. Fortunately, I know something safe, moderately priced, and so good-tasting kids will beg for more.

For many years I’ve been recommending elderberry extract, a herbal product containing the leaves and flowers of the black elder bush (Sambucus nigra) to shorten the duration and severity of flu. It can’t prevent your kids from ever getting the flu, or stop the flu in its tracks, but it can make the experience a lot shorter and less uncomfortable. I also frequently recommend the use of elderberry extract during winter for those persistent coughs and colds some kids (and their parents) experience.

The most-studied elderberry extract on the market is an Israeli product called Sambucol®, so that’s the one I recommend. In a double-blind study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 1995, children and adults were given either Sambucol® or a placebo (inactive compound). The group that received the placebo reported flu symptoms for six days compared to the Sambucol® group, who reported a reduction of symptoms within three days.

How does it work? A number of active compounds in the extract appear to have beneficial effects. Most importantly, elder plants contain compounds that stop the flu virus from multiplying, much the way the new flu drugs do. Sambucol® also increases the immune cells responsible for fighting infections, shortening the amount of time your child is laid up and miserable.

The best part about elderberry extract for kids is that it tastes so good parents usually have no trouble administering it. A recommended dose for a child five and under is ½ teaspoon 3 times a day for 7-10 days, starting as soon as symptoms begin. Don’t give your child this extract for longer than 10 days, because elderberry is an immune mediator, and longer term use has not yet been studied.

And don’t forget—the best way to keep your children from being infected by the flu virus in the first place is to teach them to wash their hands well with plain soap and water before meals and snacks and not to share food, beverages, or eating utensils with their friends during flu season. Also check with your pediatrician on the need for a flu shot for your child. Current recommendations are that children six months and older get a flu shot unless they have egg allergy.