Sambucus canadensisDescription: Elderberry is a many-stemmed shrub with opposite, compound leaves. It grows to a height of 6 meters. Its flowers are fragrant, white, and borne in large flat- topped clusters up to 30 centimeters across. Its berrylike fruits are dark blue or black when ripe.Habitat and Distribution: This plant is found in open, usually wet areas at the margins of marshes, rivers, ditches, and lakes. It grows throughout much of eastern North America and Canada.Edible Parts: The flowers and fruits are edible. You can make a drink by soaking the flower heads for 8 hours, discarding the flowers, and drinking the liquid.CAUTIONAll other parts of the plant are poisonous and dangerous if eaten.
Elderberry tea is commonly known as a remedy for flu or cold. This miraculous shrub has many other benefits for your health and can be used in many forms even for wines or sweets.
About Elderberry tea
Originally native to Europe and Western Africa, elderberry is a bush with white flowers and clusters of berries that are purplish to black in color. The best type of elderberry is considered to be the sambucus nigra, because it is truly the only safe type. Other types can be poisonous (especially stems and leaves) so be careful when you pick it yourself or when you buy it from stores.
The elderberry flowers and fruits are usually used to prepare teas, wine, jams, pies and syrups and are sometimes used as flavoring for soft drinks. The elderberry plant is also sometimes used as an ornamental plant.
Elderberry tea is rich in vitamin C and has high levels of flavonoids, anthocyanin, sambucin, sambunigrin and potassium nitrate, along with sugars. Only dried white flowers are used to prepare the tea which has a delicate tasty flavor.
How to prepare Elderberry tea
For a delicious cup of Elderberry tea, take 3 teaspoons of dried flowers and combine them with a cup of boiling water. Let them steep for approximately 10 minutes. Cool, strain and enjoy it afterwards. The same procedure must be followed if you use teabags, but use only 1. Drink it up to three times a day to treat flu or other respiratory conditions. If you add honey, its benefits will be doubled.
Benefits of Elderberry tea
Elderberry tea has lots of benefits especially when it comes to flu or fever.
It helps relieving respiratory conditions caused by a buildup of mucus or phlegm, such as colds, bronchitis, and asthma problems. It clears the system out, lowers fever and eases flu symptoms.
Elderberry tea also acts as an antioxidant protecting the body against aging free radicals thanks to the flavonoids contained. It has also a detoxifying effect helping the liver and kidneys to process and remove toxins from the body.
Elderberry tea may help in the treatment of various types of allergies.
Elderberry tea may be helpful in the quick recovery of patients with eruptive diseases caused by viruses like measles and chicken pox.
It is also recommended in the treatment of arthritic and rheumatic pain.
Side effects of Elderberry tea
Although Elderberry tea is considered generally safe, it can occasionally generate some side effects like gastrointestinal upset.
Please keep in mind that it is always a good idea to ask your physician’s opinion before taking this tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
As you can see, Elderberry tea has many benefits for your health and as long as you have chosen the right type and you do not exceed 3 cups a day you can drink it with no worries.... elderberry tea - a natural flu fighter
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