10 October 2008

Too much of a good thing

We've spent all week at home.  Not necessarily because we've wanted to (although its beautiful where we live and we could get lost in the woods for days).  

I OD'd on elderberry.

Everything I've read says that too much elderberry can give a person loose stools (sorry for the graphic explanation), but that's not what I experienced.  I got spots.  Not just a few, but spots everywhere on my body.  I felt like a pimply teenager all over again hiding my face behind long hair and big hats.  Thank God it wasn't the middle of summer and at least I could wear long sleeves and pants.  Are you thinking, "how can she be sure it was the elderberry?".  I can't be 100% positive, but I've written down everything I've eaten in the past week, everything I've put on my body, detergents, soaps, lotions, cleaners, and have called every friend I've seen in the past 3 weeks to see if anyone else had these mystery spots.  Nothing.  The only thing different was that I took copious amounts of elderberry for the past week to try to combat the beginnings of a cold.  I took way more than the directions on the bottle told me to take.  Also, last year the same thing happened to Lucian, my son.  

Good news:  I didn't get the cold!  But I will surely follow the dosage amounts from now on!  Lesson learned.

08 October 2008

Elderberry For Your Health





For those who don't know elderberry, it is a shrub or small tree that grows throughout the warmer regions of the Americas and Europe.  The berries that form late in the summer are most recently known to be really great at shortening the duration of colds and illnesses.  That's because they contain potassium and large amounts of vitamin c.  Elderberries are also a good source of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants which are responsible for giving many red and purple fruits their color.  

In our house we've been using elderberry syrup, the most commonly found way of consuming elderberry, for a few years.  As soon as symptoms of a cold appear, we take it and often times the cold doesn't come to fruition, or if it does, it is way shorter than other friends who have the same cold.  It tastes pretty good too.  Even my son loves it (okay, so he eats sprouted lentils and dulse for snacks too.  Normal?)  

Elderberry is not like Echinacea.  You don't take it to keep the viruses away, but rather take it at the first sign of a virus.  I've read that it shouldn't be taken for more than 2 weeks at a time, as a tolerance can be built up against it.

There are a few brands to choose from.  The sweetest brand is "Sambucol".  The nastiest tasting brand is "Planetary Herbals", but its powerful in its punch and has other good stuff thrown into the mix.

The weather's getting colder, so get to your health food store and stock up on the good stuff.  Having it in the house even makes me feel like I have a better immune system!