How Should I Take Sambucol
When considering the use of herbal supplements, seek the advice of your doctor. You may also consider consulting a practitioner who is trained in the use of herbal/health supplements.
If you choose to use Sambucol, use it as directed on the package or as directed by your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider. Do not use more of this product than is recommended on the label.
Do not use different forms of elderberry at the same time or you could have an overdose.
Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Sambucol is used to relieve cold & flu symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, fever, and chills. Take at the the first sign of cold or flu symptoms.
If desired, you may mix Sambucol liquid with water, fruit juice, yogurt, or a smoothie.
Call your doctor if the condition you are treating with Sambucol does not improve, or if you have a fever for more than 3 days or cold symptoms for more than 7 days.
Store your Sambucol product as directed away from moisture, heat, and light.
Australias No1 Black Elderberry Cold Flu & Immunity Brand
Being the most researched natural remedy for cold and flu, black elderberry extract is scientifically proven to speed up recovery from influenza, reduce the severity of cold and flu symptoms and fight viruses such as H5N1, Influenza A and B by boosting and strengthening an individuals immune system.
Having cold and flu is never fun. It becomes worse when the virus spreads to your family and friends.
Natures Way Original Sambucus
This references the brand which is marketed under the name Original Sambucus. What type of elderberry is used in Natures Way Sambucus? The same European black variety. To make things even more confusing, when people say sambucus they may be referencing the shortened Latin name for the berry rather than this brand name.
In short, both Sambucol and Sambucus label their products as original in some regard, but the evidence seems to suggest Sambucol was first to market and for the clinical studies which do cite a brand name, it is Sambucol we have seen. However they both use the same primary active ingredient.
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What Is Elderberry Syrup And Oscillococcinum
Surprisingly, these natural flu fighters are sold in most pharmacies, so the average person has no idea that they arent real medicine.
Not real medicine?
Does that make them alternative medicine?
theres no such thing as conventional or alternative or complementary or integrative or holistic medicine. Theres only medicine that works and medicine that doesnt. And the best way to sort it out is by carefully evaluating scientific studies not by visiting Internet chat rooms, reading magazine articles, or talking to friends.
Paul Offit, MD on Do You Believe in Magic?
So Elderberry syrup and Oscillococcinum fall into the category of medicine that doesnt work.
That still doesnt help you understand what they are though
Elderberry syrup is made from the berries of the European elder tree . While it is sold like a traditional cough and cold medicine, it is just another herbal remedy.
Whats in Oscillococcinum?
Anas Barbariae Hepatis Et Cordis Extractum 200 CK HPUS
No berries or herbs in Oscillococcinum.
And not much of anything else either.
Wait.
Whose pancreatic juice do they use? The ducks?
While all of that sounds gross, if you have taken Oscillococcinum, you can rest assured that you havent eaten any duck heart, duck liver, or pancreatic juice.
Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic medicine and so that mixture is diluted so much, it is impossible that any of the original medicine is still in those little sugar pills.
Clinical Studies To Date

The European Medicines agency lists over 70 references supporting the assessment of the purported health benefits of elderberry . These are not just for the cold, but research ranging from colitis in rats, to the amount anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in the fruit.
Outside of the human body it has been found to inhibit several strains of the influenza virus. But just because it works in a laboratory Petri dish, that does not mean it will work in your body.
Since were only reviewing it for the common cold and influenza, were going to zero in on clinical studies which have been accepted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine for inclusion into their PubMed database.
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Thoughts On Elderberry And Oscillococcinum To Treat The Flu
soo sad to see such ill information ,,,,,,,.DO they work? NOPE is your answer.??????? says the pharmaceutical company sponsoring this.YES THEY DO work, without harmful Cancer causing ingredients by strengthening your own immune system.. All I ask is PEOPLE.DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH..LOTS! not just here or my Opinion ,,But several CREDIBLE sites ..
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There have been clinical trials on Occillo that say it does help. Sorry. Ive been using it for 15 years with great relief, including for a confirmed case of H3N2! Wonderful placebo. Will keep using till I die in the hospital! Can you show us a case where someone took it right away, as directed, for flu and ended up in hospital or dead?
Can you explain to me how they work?
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Sambucol Cold And Flu Relief
Out of scope – Out of scope for RxNorm and will not receive RxNorm normal forms. Out of scope information includes radiopharmaceuticals, contrast media, herbals, homeopathics, and food. Drug names that are ambiguous or not compatible with the RxNorm system, such as multivitamins with more than 4,000 characters in their names, are also out of scope.
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What The Latest Elderberry Study Shows
Recent studies have created even more buzz around this dark purple berry. Two studies showed that elderberry extract supplements shortened the duration of the flu by four days as compared to a placebo. With these seemingly encouraging results and glowing reviews from people from all walks of life, elderberry supplement sales more than doubled between January and March of 2018 to more than $100 million in the US alone.
But not so fast.
While elderberry has become a rock star in the cold and flu-fighting universe, new evidence suggests that that elderberry was not effective in reducing the severity or duration of flu symptoms.
A study led by Michael Macknin, MD, professor emeritus of pediatrics at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, is the largest one to date that has been done to evaluate how elderberry is used in the treatment of patients with influenza B.
Influenza A and B are the two main types that cause seasonal flu epidemics. Influenza A can be very harmful and cause pandemics. Influenza B isnt as common and is far less likely to cause pandemics. While influenza A can be transmitted by birds and other animals, influenza B is mostly found in people.
The study examined 87 patients age 5 and above who tested positive for influenza, or the flu, between January 2018 and April 2019. Only 33% of patients in the study had received flu vaccines.
How To Choose The Most Popular Best Cold And Flu Medicines
The three most crucial criteria to consider are price, quality, and popularity.Price is an obvious factor to consider, as you want to ensure it is acceptable for your needs.Quality should also be examined because buying a low-quality goods will not help you achieve your main aim of obtaining the best product.Finally, while not as obvious as price or quality, popularity can be just as significant as both when it comes to attracting new customers.
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Side Effect On Cytokines
If elderberry juice does work for colds and other viruses, why does it work? Yes, the ORAC value of elderberries, which is a laboratory measurement of its antioxidant content, is about 300% that of blueberries. But how much antioxidant activity it may have has nothing to do with antiviral activity.
Some speculate it may be the effect elderberries have on cytokines.
What are cytokines? In Greek, cyto means cell and kinos means movement cell movement. Thats exactly what they do.
Cytokines are types of proteins which are released by cells of our immune system. Think of these cytokines as a chemical messenger. They go and tell other immune system cells to move and do things like fight an infection.
In a nutshell, some theorize that having higher amounts of cytokines might boost immunity function.
This study is not specific to any type of viral infection. It looked at the effect of black elderberry on the immune system of healthy people .
12 participants who were young and healthy students were given a non-proprietary standard black elderberry extract as well as branded Sambucol products.
Effect on production of TNF-alpha cytokines. LPS = known activators, E.Ex = elderberry extract, B.E. = Sambucol original syrup, Kids = Sambucol for Kids, A.D. = Sambucol Active Defense/Immune System Formula
The results?
How To Wash Your Hands
Warm water isnt essential but scrubbing with soap is.
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How Much Is Best Cold And Flu Medicines
best cold and flu medicines come in a variety of designs and pricing ranges. Its difficult to predict product costs nowadays. You dont know how much something costs because the pricing range is so vast. For example, a pair of pants can range from $20 to $200 depending on where you buy them. Similarly, additional goods like as best cold and flu medicines.
Sanitize And Clean Your Homeespecially These Items

Clean your home phone and your family members’ cell phones, too. Viruses can survive on surfaces from a few hours to a few days.
The remote controls. They’re one of the most touched items in your home.
All computers. Always check the manual before cleaning, but make sure to clean around the crevices in the keyboard.
Wash all stuffed animals in the laundry machine. If they’re not washing machine safe, keep them isolated from all members of the family for a few days to let the germs die.
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Dont Skip Your Flu Shot
The CDC estimates that the flu was associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses, more than 16.5 million medical visits, around 490,600 hospitalizations and close to 34,200 deaths during the 20182019 influenza season.
While no medicines can completely cure the flu, Dr. Macknin says the flu vaccine is the best defense against it. Its also critical for stopping the spread of this illness throughout our communities.
Best Elderberry Syrup Brand
Even though Sambucol appears to be the most studied, we feel there are not enough studies out there in order to decide what the best brand is . Plus since this ingredient is not yet proven to work for anything, a good or bad brand is largely a subjective opinion.
Not all of Natures Way Sambucus products are organic. We were not able to find their organic regular or kids syrup at any of the local stores we checked.
That being said, some people prefer organic elderberry supplements. There are a few which are USDA certified organic such as:
If you want the most studied brand though, where can you buy Sambucol? From our experiences, finding these products might involve traveling to multiple pharmacies/grocery stores. Whats for sale at Walmart may be different than Walgreens and Rite Aid pharmacy. Worse yet, some locations may have it while others do not.
Some Whole Foods sell Gaia but aside from that, it can be difficult to find a diverse selection of brands and sizes.
In the product photos featured at the start of this review, we actually had to visit 2 different stores in the Los Angeles area because one sold Sambucol while the other sold Natures Way Sambucus. Neither sold both brands!
Examples of Sambucol brand products for sale:
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What Are Todays Most Popular Best Cold And Flu Medicines Models
There are many best cold and flu medicines items accessible today for men and women seeking quality and reliability. Every best cold and flu medicines model follows the same essential premise. But they appeal to various users.Its no secret that certain products appeal to specific populations. What if you could see which products were the most popular across all consumers? You can, and weve got the list. Check out our collection of products that appear to appeal to all ages, genders, and locations.
The Natural Immune Support For Your Family
A healthy body enables you and your loved ones to live life to the fullest. However, small ailments like the common cold and flu can disrupt your daily life.
Making small steps to boost your bodys immune system can result in big changes to your overall health. However, is there a natural and convenient way to support the immune system for family members of all ages?
Sambucol® Black Elderberry for immune support
Introducing Sambucol® Black Elderberry! Made from black elderberries, Sambucol is rich in immune-supporting flavonoids and is one of the most extensively studied elderberry product in the world after being researched for nearly 20 years by a world-renowned virologist.
The wholesome goodness of black elderberry
Black Elderberry has been used to improve health for over 4000 years with the Father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates having dubbed it his Great Medicine Chest. It has twice the natural antioxidant capacity of blueberries and more than 50% of antioxidants in cranberries.
Fruits with dark blue and deep purple pigments, such as the black elderberry, are a rich source of certain flavonoids, such as anthocyanins. Flavonoids are powerful, natural antioxidants that support the immune system by neutralizing free radicals, thus protecting the bodys cells from their harmful effects. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the highest concentration of anthocyanins is found in black elderberries nearly double the amount found in any other fruit.
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What Are Elderberries
Elderberries come from a tree variety known as Sambucus. The European elder, also known as Sambucus nigra or black elder, is the most common tree from this family. The berries and flowers of these trees are edible, however, elderberries have to be cooked before theyre consumed. In their uncooked state, elderberries are toxic and can cause diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
What The Science Says
Does elderberry syrup really work? That depends on what your definition of work is. To be clear and avoid confusion, there is no such thing as a cure for colds. No berry, food, supplement, or medicine has been proven to do that.
That being said, there has been research involving the European elder and how it might help with respiratory illnesses.
Preliminary studies have suggested that it might shorten the duration of the flu by up to 3 days and help with cold symptom relief.
Officially this berry extract ingredient whether as Sambucol or another brand is sold as a dietary supplement only. It is not a medicine for treating, preventing, or curing any disease. Much more research needs to be done for there to even be a chance of that status ever changing. As of today, it is considered unproven.
With those caveats said, here is a review of the research so far.
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How To Blow Your Nose
Sniffing mucus back in leads to nasal congestion and blowing too hard can cause an earache by sending germ-carrying phlegm into ear passages. The best way to blow your nose is one nostril at a time. Press an index finger over your left nostril while you blow your right nostril gently into a tissue. Then press an index finger over the right nostril and blow gently into a tissue out of your left nostril.
May Act As A Diuretic

Elderberry may act as a diuretic, which means it may increase fluid loss through increased urine output. It’s crucial to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Talk to your doctor before taking Sambucol if you have a medical condition that increases your risk of dehydration. Use caution if you are currently prescribed a diuretic medication such as hydrochlorothiazide, bumetanide, furosemide, amiloride or metolazone. Taking Sambucol in addition to diuretic medications may increase your risk of dehydration.
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