Botanical Index No. 391

European Elder

sambucus nigra

Medicinal Actions

Alterative, Analgesic, Antiinflammatory, Antipyretic, Antiviral, Broncho-stimulant, Carminative, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Expectorant, Lactagogue, Laxative, Mucolytic, Phagocytotic, Secretagogue, Stimulant, Stomachic

Primary Conditions Treated

Emollient Arthrosis Asthma Boil Bronchosis Bruise Burn Cancer breast liver prepuce skin spleen stomach uterus Catarrh Chill Cold Condyloma Constipation Cough Cramp Dermatosis Dropsy Dyslactea Dyspnea Eczema Edema Epilepsy Erysipelas Exanthema Fever Flu Gas Gastrosis Gout Headache Head Cold Hepatosis Herpes Hoarseness Induration Inflammation Influenza Ischiosis Laryngosis Myalgia Neuralgia Neurosis Nightmare Nipple Obesity Otosis Pain Pneumonia Pulmonosis Respirosis Rheumatism Scabies Scarlet Fever Sclerosis Scrofula Sinusosis Sore Sore Throat Splenosis Stomatosis Swelling Toothache Uterosis Virus Wart Water Retention Wen Worm

General Dosage

2 tsp flowers/cup water several ×/day; 2–4 g dry flower; 2–5 g dry flower as tea 3 ×/day; 2–4 ml liquid flower extract 3 ×/day; 5–15 g fluid; 1.5–3 g fluid extract; 2.5–7.5 g tincture; 2–10 ml liquid extract 1–2 ×/day.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. None reported. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. Raw unripe fruits and other parts contain the cyanogenic sambunigrin, which in excess, can cause diarrhea and/or vomiting. Excessive use of diuretics may result in hypokalemia. If antineuraminidase E activity of berry extracts can be confirmed, this might be viewed as a potential competitor for the new 1999 drug Relenza™. The berry extracts have long been recommended for flu.

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