Don't Let Flu Ruin Valentines Day; Taking Elderberry Extract Can Help You and Your Sweetheart Recover Faster from Flu Symptoms.

SPRINGVILLE, Utah -- According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu season in the U.S. most often peaks in February. So for many Americans, a bottle of elderberry extract may make a better Valentine's Day gift than flowers or chocolates, as studies show Sambucol[R] black elderberry extract is one of the most effective ways to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of flu symptoms.

In a clinical trial published in the International Journal of Medical Research, flu patients given Sambucol recovered in 3.1 days compared to 7.1 days for those given placebo. Fifty-four patients with verified type A flu and six with type B (29 females/31 males aged 18 to 54 years) were enrolled in the double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups, one given Sambucol (1 tbsp) and the other placebo four times a day for five days.

A previous study published by The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that nearly 90 percent of flu patients given Sambucol were completely free of symptoms within two to three days, as compared to at least six days with placebo.

"Sambucol is very effective, especially when taken at first sign of symptoms," says Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, a prominent virologist and developer of the Sambucol elderberry extract. "The speed at which flu patients recover and their reduction in symptoms is quite amazing."

Russell Greenfield, M.D., a leading practitioner of integrative medicine and clinical assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, also advocates elderberry. "It has no known side effects or negative interactions," he says. But don't expect grandma's elderberry jam to ease flu-related body aches, cough and fever, warns Dr. Greenfield. "Sambucol is the only black elderberry preparation shown effective in clinical studies."

Sambucol is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Nature's Way Products, Inc., and is widely available at health and nutrition stores. Sambucol is a dietary supplement, rather than a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention, cure or treatment of the flu. It is not intended as a substitute for flu vaccine, which is advisable for children and adults, especially those over age 50 or with compromised immune function.