This Elderberry Extract syrup is amazing! I have never felt better since using this. I used it once when I had a cold and I felt better immediately after using it. I also was feeling better and didnt have any of my cold symptoms after a day. This syrup does wonders for the body and the immune system and not to mention it tastes absolutely delicious. I have given this syrup to my friends and family for them to use when they first start to develop cold symptoms and they love it. It is even good to juse use daily to keep your immune system strong and fighting anything that may come your way. The serving size is not too large so it lasts quite a long time. I would say its highly effective, tastes wonderful, cost effective and easily found in grocery stores or health food stores. It is also high in vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to stay happy and healthy and not get sick.

wweastsidelv

Warren, OH

We got turned on to Elderberry syrup at the beginning of cold and flu season. I ran to the store and grabbed a bottle of black elderberry extract. I started giving our two kids half a teaspoon daily. It's now mid-February and we haven't had anything more than a small runny nose that lasted a day while our friends around us are going on weekly doctor visits, dealing with the flu and can't ever seem to shake it. There is no other way to explain it except the syrup. We don't live in a bubble, we go out to play, we eat out and hang out with other kids...yet we stay sicky free! There was one night where I could feel my sinuses start to fill up and I just *knew* I was getting sick. I took a tablespoon of Elderberry before I went to bed and again in the morning and I felt perfectly fine without any further symptoms. I would and do continually recommend this product to friends and family!

mommymeg1

Benton, AR

I don't fall for every natural "cure" out there. I need to say that first. Everyone in my family takes a whole food based multivitamin daily because I feel it helps fill any nutritional gaps that may be lacking in our diets, but we don't take any other supplements. My uncle reccomended Black Elderberry extract as a preventative for me to take when my daughter had a long hospitalization. I was spending 24/7 in a germy hospital and I didn't want to bring a bug into her because she needed me there. He said that maybe taking Elderberry extract would strengthen my immune system. I can't say that it did but I didn't get sick that entire 4 months and I ate out of germy vending machines and in the hospital cafeteria every day. Now the whole family takes this during cold and flu season. It is a simple syrup of elderberry juice and I feel that it is a safe way to help you body fight off germs. My dad remembers when elderberries where plentiful and he ate elderberry jam all the time. If you look at ingredients you will see that it is just elderberry extract and some sort of sugar, so it is quite safe if you don't exceed the dosage. The taste is great and my kids don't mind taking it at all. There are other elderberry extracts out there that work just as well too- Sambucol is just the one most easily found it seems. I've also taken this in a capsule form and felt it worked just as well.

colemamma

Coraopolis, PA

If you can get past the taste this is the best product to keep your family healthy! I have 3 kids and they take this everyday. If I notice a cold starting we bump up the dose but in my 2 year olds class he is the only one who has not missed a day because he was sick! I truly feel this is what is helping all of us stay healthy when everyone around us is getting sick. It is worth adding into your daily routine. I just wish it was not so expensive!

lalgator

USA

I ran across this product by chance at Walgreen after my favorite cold&flu product had been discontinued. Since I teach, I am frequently a victim of multi-user keyboards cold and flu. Desperate from being sick for three weeks, I tried it. I didn't notice the anything until the third day, but Wow! All of a sudden I felt better. The fourth day, I was breathing normally again. The second time I used Sambucol was a month later, and I was already sick, again. This time it only took 24 hours before I noticed a difference. I still had congestion for a week, but it really made my life and breathing so much easier. The third time, about two months later, just as I was feeling sick, I started right on it. That worked like a charm. I didn't have to use my nebulisar for asthma once. For me, this product it worth it's weight in gold. I use it in conjunction with my asthma meds, and I stay out of the doctor's office, off extensive medication, and am in the classroom. It tastes fine and it's cheaper OCD for flu and cold, and is highly effective at stimulating health rather than merely being a comfort solution.

MargaretMSKirby

USA

I discovered sambucol a few years back when there were coupons out making it free. I am a big fan of free stuff, so  I got some and checked it out. I am SO, SO, SO glad I did! Sambucol is the best line of defense for you or your child with any type of upper respiratory issue. I use it for colds, coughs, etc. When my oldest son started taking allergy shots not long after I discovered Sambucol, he got bronchitis, which the dr said was something that could happen as his body got used to the shots. After rounds of steriods and antibiotics, he got better. Two weeks later, he started having symptoms of it again. So, I have him Sambucol. He got better quickly and it never did turn into bronchitis. The children love to take it because it tastes good (wow!),and it is actually good for your body! I have recommended this to several friends who have had similar results using it in their families. It is on the pricey side, sometimes you can find a good deal and sometimes you can't. There are several other brands coming out now, which I'm not sure work as well. I do find the syrup to work better than the tablets. Overall, this is fantastic and everyone should give it a try!

homeschoolingmama

Portland, TN

My son had to withdraw from college last year because he got so sick he fell behind in his classes. Once he was sick it seemed like he couldn't get better and seemed to catch any germ that came his way. He went to a few doctors and they ran numerous tests including tests for scary stuff like mono and chronic bronchitis. The tests all came back negative. He went to an allergist who also ran tests. They found allergies, but nothing that would necessitate medicating. Frustration set in and the nagging thought that I needed to find a way to boost his immune system. I didn't know how to go about it. I was introduced to **Sambucol** **Original Formula**, a clinically tested supplement made from elderberries. The anti-oxidants of elderberries helps combat the illness and regular use could be taken as a preventative measure. I am no stranger to using elderberries as a homeopathic medicine. I make an elderberry jam that I mix into nettle tea for colds and upper respiratory sickness. I trust them so trying Sambucol just felt right. (And the product is recommended by Andrew Weil, M.D.) Sambucol comes in a chewable tablet and a liquid for those who prefer it. I sent both kinds off to my son in Utah and decided that my husband and I would try it as well. We *all* made it through the winter unscathed! My son made it through school and I am very happy! Thank-you, Sambucol. **My Experience:** I chewed a tablet, a couple times a day for a few weeks. I felt like I had more energy which isn't one of the benefits touted by Sambucol but I did feel better. In time, I started to feel as though I was going to get sick. I doubled up on the tablets and I believe it helped me fight off what was trying to prey on my system because I never got sick. [I later read that I should have been taking two tablets anyway- always good to read the box.] **My Viewpoint:** I was mainly interested in trying to find a product to boost my youngest son's immune system but, in the process, boosted my own. I like the product and will continue to use it. Sambucol also comes in a kids formula. I wish it had existed when my children were small. **Postscript:** While the original formula [as researched by Patty] is mostly sugar water and vitamin C, the *immune formula* has different ingredients- Liquid Ingredients- 3.8g of Black Elderberry Extract per 10mlSorbitol, purified water, artificial raspberry flavour, citric acid, potassium sorbate (to retard spoilage) Free from Gluten.Free from artificial colours Chewable Tablet Ingredients- Elderberry dried extract 80 mgVitamin C 100 mgZinc (as zinc citrate) 5.3 mgEchincea 10 mg Other IngredientsSorbitol, xylitol, natural flavors, solida, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, maltodextrin, tapioca starch Free from artificial colors A page of frequently asked questions about Sambucol: http://www.sambucolusa.com/faqs.htm

Meri

Northern, FL

I was recently introduced to Elderberry a few months ago! I suffer from environmental allergies and used to get sick all the time. Once introduced to elderberry, I am rarely sick! Once I start feeling crummy or have a sore throat, sinus headache, or nasal drainage, I immediately take elderberry. Within a day or two, all of my symptoms are gone!!!! It's a wonderful product for those prone to colds and sinus issues often! I love how I have completely switched over to all-natural remedies to keep my body healthy and fight off illnesses. I used to be a die-hard "over the counter" medicine person, but now I rarely go to the drug store. I get vitamins from a local store in town. Would recommend Elderberry to anyone!

lcoppins

Houston, TX

Now I don't know if this stuff really works or not, though it does have some clinical trial claim to fame, if not for itself, for its active ingredient, but studies can be undone as well as done, so that is for greater minds to decide. That said,anecdotally, I am an asthmatic who tends to get bad asthma flairs from every cold, often turning into Bronchitis or worse. When faced with such, I am more than willing to give anything a try, moreso if there are good clinical trials. I spent years sucking on zinc and I've not given up on vitamin C. When I got sick this December, I dug out a bottle of Sambucol I bought last winter. It stood on my counter next to the stock massive bottle of Guaifenesin for thinning secretions and mass quantities of liquids. After each nasty dose of Guaifenisin I actually looked forward to taking the Sambucol. The stuff is actually, and I am not exaggerating, TASTY! I took the dose recommended for intensive action vs preventative, I used the whole bottle up. I can't say with any certainty that it was the Sambucol, but I will say that this is the first cold I've had in years, that didn't have severe Asthma flairs after, as such, I will continue to take this when I have other colds. I also felt better during the course of the cold that I have other times, again, no proof there, but worth not ruling out. It would be wonderful if this stuff is proven over time to be helpful in reducing severety and length of colds, but until then, it wasn't horribly expensive, and it was pleasant to take, and one is left at least feeling like the best effort has been made! I agree with other posters however, that it would be nice if the company would make a larger value size bottle, particularly if one has a sick family taking it all together. For one, the bottle was appropriately sized.

TheManseHen

San Francisco, CA

We were first introduced to Sambucol Black Elderberry Immune System Booster by my children's pediatrician when they were sick.  We tried it at that time, and have never looked back.  It really does help boost the immune system and helps them (and the adults in the house, too!) get better much faster than compared to when we didn't use Sambucol.  This is especially true for respiratory infections, it seems to really help with those. It has a great flavor and is very easy to take.  My children love the flavor and I don't mind at all myself.  It says you can take it for prevention as well, and sometimes we do that if we know we have been exposed to something or if we are going to be in a really germy or crowded place (like the doctor's office, Walt Disney World, etc.). The only negative I can think of with this is that the bottle is not big enough!  We can go through a bottle pretty quickly, so I would love it if they made a bigger one that was more cost efficient!

wifemommy

Jacksonville, FL