Elderberries

Sambucus nigra

PART USED: Berry

PROPERTIES: Nutritive, Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Antiviral, and (according to some) Anti-cancer

SYSTEMS AFFECTED: Cardiovascular, Integumentary

POSSIBLE USES: hair rinse, heart tonic, skin toner

INGREDIENT IN: COMP, WC

Rich in vitamin C (off the charts), vitamin A and flavonoids, Elderberries are antioxidant powerhouses and may prevent cell damage even in the toxic environment that modern life has created for each of us. Only black currants and Rosehips contain more vitamin C than Elderberries. Other prominent ingredients in Elderberries are iron, potassium, phosphorus, copper, calcium, vitamin B6, beta carotenes, some proteins, and some very nice antioxidants.

The high fiber amounts in Elderberries are said to help eliminate excess cholesterol from the system and provide for “good” cholesterol that the body produces itself if it has the right materials. The potassium in Elderberries protects the heart muscle by relaxing tension in the blood vessels and arteries—even those around the heart itself.

Elderberries have been used for nearly a millennium to soften and tone the skin and to lighten freckles. Elderberries are also used as a rinse for brown hair (as is Rosemary)

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