# What’s up with elderberries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302 "2020-04-07T20:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/1 "2020-04-07T20:32:24Z")
This is not so much about the efficacy of elderberries as homeopathic medicine although if there happens to be any scientific data feel free to share. I knew nothing about elderberries except as a Monty Python insult until last year. Around November both me and my daughter caught Influenza A. My ex insisted we take an elderberry product which was supposed to help in some way. That’s when I realized the shelf in Walgreens was packed with elderberries as medicine. When did this happen in the US? Did something happen to make it a popular homeopathic product? Is it just good marketing? To be clear this was months before COVID-19 was a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/2 "2020-04-07T21:13:12Z")
Elderberries and zinc as immune boosters have been more mainstream over the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/3 "2020-04-07T21:39:16Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Elderberries and zinc as immune boosters have been more mainstream over the last few years. Zinc I’ve seen for years. Elderberry I’ve seen for about 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/4 "2020-04-07T21:41:26Z")
Elderberries have definitely become more mainstream over the last few years, but currently there isn’t any solid scientific evidence that elderberries really do much of anything. There may be something there, but nothing is currently proven. For all anyone knows at this point, the whole thing might just be some sort of placebo effect. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved elderberries for the treatment or prevention of any medical condition. That said, there have been a couple of studies that showed some benefit to elderberries for the treatment of flu symptoms. See here: > **[Elderberry Supplementation Reduces Cold Duration and Symptoms in...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/)** > > Intercontinental air travel can be stressful, especially for respiratory health. Elderberries have been used traditionally, and in some observational and clinical studies, as supportive agents against the common cold and influenza. This randomized,... Note that the study’s authors state that more research is necessary to confirm the effects and to properly evaluate the actual benefits of elderberries. I have no idea why elderberries have suddenly taken off, other than the fact that some folks will believe almost anything on social media. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/5 "2020-04-07T22:07:30Z")
Not homeopathic, naturopathic. The most famous reference to them before Monty Python was in _Arsenic and Old Lace_, where elderberry wine was used for murder, because the poisons in it were “less noticeable” than in tea. FTR I used to harvest elderberries that grew wild in the backyard of my childhood home, and they have no smell in particular. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/6 "2020-04-07T22:11:17Z")
I noticed the same over the last 6 months. I don’t know if it’s a real increase or me noticing it more. > [@Johanna](#): > > Not homeopathic, naturopathic. > > The most famous reference to them before Monty Python was in _Arsenic and Old Lace_, where elderberry wine was used for murder, because the poisons in it were “less noticeable” than in tea. > > FTR I used to harvest elderberries that grew wild in the backyard of my childhood home, and they have no smell in particular. It’s both naturopathic and [homeopathic](https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/sambucol-black-elderberry-cold-&-flu-relief/ID=prod4188079-product?skuId=sku4186949). The difference is that the former is \*mostly \*woo, the latter 100% complete utter bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/7 "2020-04-08T03:37:15Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I noticed the same over the last 6 months. I don’t know if it’s a real increase or me noticing it more. If it was there before it was certainly less noticeable. Now it’s taking up entire end caps. In Walgreens I see elderberry products in several locations through the store. And like I said earlier this was before the pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/8 "2020-04-08T04:59:53Z")
I bought some St. Germain elderflower liqueur and it wasn’t all that great tasting. The bottle is a work of art, though, and I am keeping it to use as a vase for a suitable art deco-ish flower. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/9 "2020-04-08T05:18:39Z")
Oooh, I beg to disagree. I have had some elderberry liquor-based drinks in the past couple of years, and they were delicious. They weren’t advertised as healthy, though, just as tasty. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/10 "2020-04-08T05:22:17Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Not homeopathic, naturopathic. > > The most famous reference to them before Monty Python was in _Arsenic and Old Lace_, where elderberry wine was used for murder, because the poisons in it were “less noticeable” than in tea. > > FTR I used to harvest elderberries that grew wild in the backyard of my childhood home, and they have no smell in particular. The elderberry wine was probably used to disguise the poison’s taste. If nothing else, people who take various elderberry concoctions probably got some extra vitamin C. Don’t get me started on Oscillococcinum, which is basically very expensive sugar. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/11 "2020-04-08T05:31:06Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > If it was there before it was certainly less noticeable. Now it’s taking up entire end caps. In Walgreens I see elderberry products in several locations through the store. And like I said earlier this was before the pandemic. I don’t mean just in Walgreens/CVS, but online too. Some pages making fun of antivax/MLM/mom group posts where the latter have been mentioning elderberry syrup. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Oooh, I beg to disagree. I have had some elderberry liquor-based drinks in the past couple of years, and they were delicious. They weren’t advertised as healthy, though, just as tasty. St-Germain the liqueur is an herbal liqueur made from the flower plus a bunch of botanicals. It isn’t a sweet berry booze. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/12 "2020-04-08T13:27:14Z")
I had cocktails with St. Germain, but also had elderberry “lemonaide” in the Czech republic. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-elderberries/851302/13 "2020-04-08T14:04:01Z")
We prefer the term “senior citizens”.