{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"elderberry","kind":"supplement","name":"elderberry","aliases":["Sambucus nigra","black elderberry","Sambucol"],"brands_sg":["California Gold Nutrition","Sambucol","Nature's Way","NOW Foods","Nature's Answer"],"class":"botanical","tags":["immune"],"use_for":"cold and flu symptoms — small trials, uncertain evidence","use_after":"from symptom onset","use_duration":"trial courses ran 2–5 days","take_with":null,"pros":["may shorten cold and flu symptoms — evidence uncertain","no sign it overstimulates the immune system","no serious adverse events in the five pooled trials"],"cons":["it may not cut the risk of catching a cold at all","only five randomised trials, small and mostly old","raw or unripe berries and leaves are cyanide-forming"],"dose_note":"the pooled trials tested branded products, not an ingredient dose: 15 ml of a 38% elderberry syrup four times a day for five days in the 2004 influenza trial, and a 175 mg elderberry-extract lozenge four times a day for two days in the 2009 one; nccih gives no dose at all","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"mg","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["raw or unripe berries, leaves and stems are toxic until cooked","pregnancy or breastfeeding — little is known about safety","covid-19 claims drew fda and ftc action — there is no good evidence","not listed in hsa's annex a/b — hsa says that list is not exhaustive"],"clashes":[{"src":["nccih_elderberry_meds"],"note":"nccih: no specific drug named, but it advises a provider conversation first — some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways","with":"medicines generally"}],"sources":[{"id":"nccih_elderberry_headline","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/elderberry","label":"NCCIH — Elderberry (What Have We Learned)","quote":"Some preliminary research suggests that elderberry may relieve symptoms of flu, colds, or other upper respiratory infections.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_elderberry_covid","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/elderberry","label":"NCCIH — Elderberry (COVID-19 and enforcement action)","quote":"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission have taken action against companies that marketed elderberry products with unsubstantiated claims of effectiveness for COVID-19.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_elderberry_raw","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/elderberry","label":"NCCIH — Elderberry (Safety: raw and unripe plant parts)","quote":"Raw or unripe elderberries and other parts of the elder tree, such as the leaves and stem, contain poisonous cyanide-producing substances that can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea; cooking eliminates this toxin.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_elderberry_pregnancy","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/elderberry","label":"NCCIH — Elderberry (Safety: pregnancy and breastfeeding)","quote":"Little is known about whether it’s safe to use elderberry for health purposes during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_elderberry_meds","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/elderberry","label":"NCCIH — Elderberry (Safety: medicines)","quote":"If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using elderberry or other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"wieland2021","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC8026097","label":"Elderberry for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses: a systematic review (Wieland et al., BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 5 RCTs, GRADE-assessed)","quote":"Elderberry may not reduce the risk of developing the common cold; it may reduce the duration and severity of colds, but the evidence is uncertain. Elderberry may reduce the duration of influenza but the evidence is uncertain.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"wieland2021_safety","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC8026097","label":"Wieland et al. 2021 — conclusions on safety and immune overstimulation","quote":"Elderberry may be a safe option for treating viral respiratory illness, and there is no evidence that it overstimulates the immune system. However, the evidence on both benefits and harms is uncertain","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"wieland2021_ae","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC8026097","label":"Wieland et al. 2021 — adverse-event reporting in the included trials","quote":"no serious adverse events were reported in any study, the limited attention to adverse events overall means that we are very uncertain about types and rates of more minor adverse events","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"wieland2021_doses","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC8026097","label":"Wieland et al. 2021 — Table of included studies (Zakay-Rones 2004; Kong 2009)","quote":"15 ml syrup with 38% proprietary elderberry extract (Sambucol) taken 4 times/day … Lozenge with 175 mg proprietary elderberry extract taken 4 times/day","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_pr_notlisted","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025), Annex A/B — searched, no row for this ingredient","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/elderberry","label":"iHerb Singapore — Elderberry Sambucus category (default order, 1 - 48 of 165 results)","quote":"California Gold Nutrition, Adult Sambucus Elderberry Syrup … Sambucol, Black Elderberry, Effervescent Tablets + Vitamin C & Zinc … Nature's Way, Sambucus®, Immune Gummy, Elderberry … NOW Foods, Sambucus Zinc-C … Nature's Answer, Sambucus, Black Elderberry Extract Spray","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-29T16:16:18.585742+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}