ELDERBERRY 

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you know one of the most powerful magical objects is the Elder Wand, which was fashioned from the wood of the Sambucus niger shrub, native to the warmer regions of Europe and North America. 

Elderberries may not be magic, but they have long been applied to swelling and wounds, and have more recently been used as a treatment for cold and flu. The delicious purple-black berries are still enjoyed as jams and jellies, and they make a popular form of wine. 

In the fall, elderberries turn a deep purple, showcasing their high concentrations of antioxidant flavonoids, anthocyanins, and quercetin, all believed to account for the medicinal actions of this plant’s berries and flowers. 

European herbalists traditionally used elderberry for pain relief and to promote the healing of injuries. They later learned from North American Native peoples that the plant was useful for infections, coughs, and other conditions, too. 

Elderberry is one of your most powerful allies against influenza. According the Health Canada, the flu affects between 10% and 25% of Canadians every year (usually between November and April) and sends 20,000 people to the hospital, killing roughly 4,000. The good news is one study confirmed that people receiving a daily dose elderberry syrup—packed with therapeutic phytonutrients—recovered faster than those receiving a placebo.* 

Additional uses include as a laxative for constipation, stimulating general immune function, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis. Essentially, if anything from your nose to your throat to your lungs is infected or affected, turn to these berries.