By Christine Cheng (RPh)
Q: I’ve always used echinacea when I feel like I’m starting to come down with a cold, but my friend swears by elderberry. What are your thoughts?
A: Echinacea has been used for many years for both prevention and treatment of the common cold. Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is another botanical widely used for its antiviral properties. A quick look at the research behind these two herbs suggest it would be beneficial to keep both on hand as Echinacea seems effective for preventing cold illness whereas Elderberry seems to be effective at reducing the duration and severity of cold symptoms. Over the years, we have had good clinical experience with using ESBERITOX ™ a preparation containing Echinacea spp, Thuja occidentalis, and Baptisia tinctoria during the cold season and even when you feel those first symptoms sneaking in. SAMBUCUS, a preparation of elderberry from Nature’s Way is a tasty way to help everyone in the family feel better quicker if they develop a full-blown cold.
