ilovebijou

here's all the info on elderberries. it was sent to me by one of the naturopaths in our attachment parenting community. A lot of it is very interesting:

Here is a great post on some things you can do to help prevent the flu:
https://www.naturallyhealthy.org/blog/ It is written by Shonda Parker, who is an herbalist. There is an excellent podcast about flu prevention on Herb Mentor. This is a membership site, but is only $1 for the first month. The podcast is definitely worth $1: https://herbmentor.com/articles/20090929/

Right now we are taking an elderberry elixir based on this recipe: https://bearmedicineherbals.com/?p=66 at least twice a day. We'd bump that up to 4x a day if I knew we were exposed, and every two hours once there were symptoms.
I take about a teaspoon of this, give my 6 year old about 10 drops to a half teaspoon (she decides) and I give my 13 month old whatever amount of drops she'll take. Usually I put a drop on her finger, and she licks it off - I aim for 5 drops today I shot a drop on each of a few cheerios, or I'll squirt it in a little water, apple sauce, etc.

There are lots of elderberry recipes out there. You also could find a syrup called Sambucal or HerbPharm Elderberry Glycerite from a co-op or Present Moment in Mpls.

Here is a syrup that doesn't need to sit for any time at all (unlike the elixir recipe):

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Elderberry Syrup


This is beneficial for colds and the flu and to boost the immune system.

Simmer ? cup dried elderberries with 3 cups of spring water, ? teaspoon powdered cinnamon, and 1 inch of fresh chopped ginger root.

Mash the berries with the water and spices and simmer at a low boil for one half-hour.

Turn off the heat and add ? cup of dried elderflower ? let infuse for 15 minutes.

Strain. Return the liquid to the pot and add 1 cup of raw honey. Melt the honey into the liquid, bottle and refrigerate.

It will keep for about 3 months.

For an adult take 1 Tablespoon when feeling the sniffles coming on, or when you want to build up your immune system.
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Dosage is generally based on a 150 lb adult. So dosage for this syrup for a 50 lb child would be 1 t.

Yesterday I was feeling tired, had a little bit of a sore throat, head ache, a tiny bit achy - I started taking a dropper-full every couple of hours as well as about a 1/2 t of buffered vitamin c (I use sodium ascorbate). I also drank a bunch of ginger tea : https://www.learningherbs.com/flu_home_remedy_tea.html Which is delicious and very warming. I took a hot bath and tried to keep myself really warm. I felt all better this morning.