Elderberry for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses: a systematic review

Study answer

What this study found

Elderberry may not prevent common cold, but it may shorten colds and influenza illness; overall certainty is low and the evidence is mixed. In the prevention trial, 12/154 in the elderberry group and 17/158 in placebo developed a well-defined cold (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.39; p = 0.30), but among those who became ill, cold duration was 2 days shorter (MD -2.13, 95% CI -4.16 to -0.10; p = 0.04) and symptom severity was lower (MD -13.69, 95% CI -24.54 to -2.84; p = 0.01). In influenza treatment trials, pooled time to resolution or global improvement was nearly 3 days shorter with elderberry…

Study & population

Systematic review of randomized and ex vivo studies evaluating elderberry for prevention or treatment of viral respiratory illness and for effects on inflammatory markers.

Intervention

Oral elderberry was tested in several formulations across the review: proprietary elderberry extract capsules, Sambucol syrup, elderberry lozenges, elderberry infusion/tea, and a single-dose black elderberry tincture.

Key limitation

The evidence base is small, heterogeneous, and mostly low certainty, with widely varying elderberry preparations, doses, durations, and outcomes.

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Original abstract