During the cold & flu season, we all know people who are prone to sickness. Elderberries are said to inactivate certain virus particles by binding with the sites the virus uses to bind to our cell walls, making the virus less harmful and giving our bodies time to flush the virus out.
Here is the recipe for homemade elderberry cough syrup:
1/2 cup dried elderberries
2 cups water
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the water is reduced by half, about 45 minutes. Strain it and discard the pulp. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
To this mixture, add 1/2 cup of honey, then put it in a jar. It will keep well in the fridge.
You can get dried elderberries many places on the net, or at any herb shop including Kathy’s in Mount Pleasant. My preference is Starwest Botanicals, also available on Amazon.
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Another herb said to be effective in treating viral, bacterial, or parasitic upper respiratory disease is Lomatium Dissectum root. It has a long history of being used by the Native Americans and the Chinese. It can be purchased from Starwest Botanicals and is also available on Amazon.
