Health & Fitness

The workings of the human immune system are fascinating and especially important during the coronavirus outbreak. While the immune system's armamentarium of stem cells, helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and other fighters is impressive, so is the armamentarium that a virus uses to invade cells and make them factories to replicate it.

A vivid and entertaining video, "The Amazing Immunology of our Viral Issue — and Herd Immunity Revelations!" describes the ongoing war between your immune system and an invading virus, such as COVID-19. It was recently created by Ivor Cummins, a chemical engineer who runs the health website "The Fat Emperor."¹ Creon Levit, chief scientist of Planet Labs, was the guest.

Levit, who has collaborated with top immunologists, is a professional applied physicist who previously served as an aerospace engineer at NASA for over 35 years.² Planet Labs is a private satellite data company that operates over 300 imaging satellites in the Earth's low orbit.³

In "The Amazing Immunology of our Viral Issue — and Herd Immunity Revelations!" Levit showcases in bright charts and visuals the many intricacies and cell signalings that enable the immune system to fight viruses like COVID-19 as well as how viruses like COVID-19 can fight back.

An especially burning question that Levit and Cummins address is if and how herd immunity can be achieved against COVID-19. They reach some surprising findings.

Antibody Testing Is Not Predictive for COVID-19

It is commonly believed that the only people who may have become immune to COVID-19 are those who show antibodies when they are tested, says Cummins, and a country's "herd immunity" is often based on the results of such tests. For example, if 7% or 8% of a population have antibodies, it is assumed that a country has only that low percent of herd immunity. This is a misconception, say both men in the video.

The science suggests that people may have a significant amount of de facto or effective immunity without showing antibodies, they say. For example, some people, referred to as "denatured" or "barriered" cases, may have been exposed to the virus but, unlike those around them, did not become ill. According to Lev:⁴

"… because of these people's either luck or their healthy metabolisms, the virus gets blocked through mucous membranes and other sorts of things and it never actually infects their cells … therefore they're not even mounting an immune response and they could get challenged again and perhaps infected.

But, some number of people who get exposed don't get the disease, not so much because of a classic immune response because it's just blocked through their body membranes and sort of nonspecific processes."

According to Cummins, if such people "get past" the virus "they're not going to be a spreader … unless they get a huge viral load that's much bigger" should the virus come along again. These people may not be contributors to herd immunity per se but they are "less susceptible" to getting the disease, clarifies Levit.⁵

Other People May Also Have De Facto Immunity

Other people may contribute to a region's herd immunity too, yet are often not detected through current antibody tests that are administered. Among these people are those considered to have an “innate" or "cleared" status, which means, according to Levit:⁶

"… that certain aspects of your immune system, certain antibodies and certain other signaling processes can prevent or clear a viral infection even though you've never been exposed to that particular virus before — even though you have no immunological memory."

Such generalized immune responses that can recognize and fight viruses that have never been encountered before are seen throughout the animal world, especially in primitive animals and even in microbial life, says Levit.⁷

"The only immune system they have is a generic system that … targets generally all bacteria or generally all viruses and so this is not a thing where you'd have specific antibodies to a specific virus, but you have signaling where virally infected cells do certain things. And then the immune system … starts setting nearby cells into sort of antiviral modes …

… some people manage to fight off the infections presumably using their innate immune system without necessarily getting sick, and generating adaptive or acquired immune response … they really did have an immune battle. They will go on to be de facto herd immunity contributors to society but they won't show antibodies."

The Role of T Cells in Immunity

According to the video, mammalian immune systems have evolved to target specific viruses or families of viruses and are all based on T cells — lymphocytes produced or processed by the thymus gland.

If someone is infected with a virus, their body can mount a T cell response targeting that particular virus and the infected cells, especially when they have immunological memory. Immunological memory is a well-known concept, says Levit:

"We've all heard about this, like once you get immune to something you might stay immune for years or for your whole life. You can have immunological memory that you get from viruses that are not identical to the current virus but are similar."

Prior infection with SARS or other coronaviruses like the common cold may provide such prior immunity and immunological memory, says Levit.⁸ Your T cell system may act to clear your body of the infection caused by similar but not identical viruses. Notably, he says, this can happen "without generating a host of antibodies."

Moreover, says Levit, COVID-19 antibody tests "only test for a small fraction of the possible antibodies against COVID."

How T Cells Work

One of the most amazing immune system components depicted in "The Amazing Immunology of our Viral Issue" are T cells. Their intuition and adaptability in fighting invading viruses is just short of miraculous. According to Levit there are:⁹

"… many hundreds of thousands or millions of different types of T cells and the difference between one T cell and another is that each one is targeted to recognize a specific peptide fragment held in an MHC [major histocompatibility complex] molecule.

The only ones that are in your life when you’re no longer well, the only ones that are in your circulation during normal life are ones that target non-self proteins.

All the T cells that target self proteins get eliminated in your thymus when you're very young so you only have T cells circulating in your body that target MHC that's holding non-self peptides. [This kind of T cell] is a specific variant of a T cell that only recognizes this one particular non-self peptide … it recognizes stuff you've never seen before like SARS-CoV-2."

Other Immune Responses May Not Produce Antibodies

B cells, lymphocytes not processed by the thymus gland, T cells and MHC (major histocompatibility complex) genes that encode major antigens can also mount immunological responses, says Levit.¹⁰

"This is basically that if you have never seen the virus before and you mount an immune response that starts with T cells and MHC … you can clear the infection from your body using a variety of different mechanisms … It is not necessarily the case that it is going to activate a system that produces the antibodies that the antibody test tests for …

Your infection may get cleared in principle by one of the T cell mediated pathways like cytotoxic T cells that aren't tested for by the antibody test."

People who have successfully fought COVID-19 this way "are contributing to herd immunity in the society but without triggering the test," Cummins summarizes. Those who are tested for COVID-19 antibodies but receive a "false negative" result when they actually harbor the coronavirus' antibodies also contribute to herd immunity. It is not clear how often this happens, the men agree.

Viruses Can Trick the Immune System

A virus' "agenda" is to replicate itself in a host's cells. Unlike bacteria, a virus cannot reproduce on its own. But, says Levit, if a thousand viruses get into your body from someone's sneeze and they don't get into your cells to reproduce, they do no harm. "There's just a thousand floating around and they go nowhere."¹¹

The many proteins that the virus needs to replicate and infect other cells "are buried inside the virus where antibodies will never see it," so they will not trigger a response "when the virus is freely floating around" in this manner, says Levit.

But, and it is a big but, viruses are cagey and use spike proteins to invade a host's cells, points out Levig.¹²

"The virus subverts your cell and then eventually the cell starts budding viruses out from its own membranes and then eventually the cell can become almost like a virus crystal. It can be so taken over with viruses that it just stops functioning … The viruses have even maybe infected the nucleus [of the cell] … so the cell's a goner."

Ideally, the body's immune system will not let the virus enter, says Levit.¹³

"One thing your body can do if it has the right antibodies to get rid of viruses is … that it can just completely surround the virus. It can cause it to stop working because there's no more exposed spike protein to use to sneak into a cell.

Also, once the virus is surrounded by antibodies, other parts of the immune system know that if they see something surrounded by antibodies, that thing should be digested and removed … the virus itself as a ball or sphere has got identifiable proteins. If you have memory and you've built antibodies … it can be attacked directly as an entity as a virus."

Your Immune System Is Amazing

At the conclusion of this excellent video, you can't help but be amazed at the intelligence of your immune system in mobilizing defenses against viruses like COVID-19 as well as other pathogens.

The subtle ways in which your immune system recognizes invading viruses also suggest that herd immunity against COVID-19 may be much higher than that estimated by public health officials. As Levit summarizes at the end of the video:¹⁴

"… it appears that there may very well be a set of people who have been infected with COVID but who aren't producing antibodies, perhaps because these other immunological mechanisms, T cells or [the] innate system or both cleared them effectively before they started producing a lot of antibodies.

Also, conversely, we have this other phenomenon that a bunch of people who've never been infected with COVID already appear to have some of the immunological machinery that is partially specialized to dealing with COVID because they've been infected with homologous viruses in the past."

One conclusion that can be drawn from the video is that antibody tests as a basis for projected herd immunity are clearly not effective. Those who may have been infected do not necessarily harbor antibodies, including asymptomatic people whose illnesses were not detectable.¹⁵

At the video's close, Cummins expresses awe at the many-faceted human immune system designed to keep you healthy and promote herd immunity.

"I would think that [it is] the most exotic immunological machinery in the universe … this whole system you described that's not the antibody system, but the whole T cell system [that] has been developed and I would guess it's pretty damn effective after a million years of evolution."

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All things considered, vitamin D optimization is likely the easiest, least expensive and most beneficial strategy that anyone can do to minimize their risk of COVID-19 and other infections in the coming months. Health authorities are already warning of a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall, which means the time to start addressing your vitamin D level is NOW.

We also have a pandemic of vitamin D deficiency, as more than 1 billion individuals worldwide, across all age groups, are deficient in vitamin D.^1,2,3,4 Vitamin D deficiency has now been identified as a significant risk factor for positive COVID-19 status,^5,6 severe COVID-19 infection^7,8,9,10 and death thereof.^11,12 I discuss this in "Vitamin D Is Directly Correlated to COVID-19 Outcome."

In one study,^13,14 which looked at data from 780 hospital patients in Indonesia, those with a vitamin D level between 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) and 30 ng/mL had a sevenfold higher risk of death than those with a level above 30 ng/mL. Having a level below 20 ng/mL was associated with a 12 times higher risk of death.

To improve your immune function and lower your risk of viral infections, you'll want to raise your vitamin D to a level between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL by fall. In Europe, the measurements you're looking for are 150 nmol/L and 200 nmol/L. If vitamin D levels were increased in the global population, tens of thousands of people may be saved if or when COVID-19 reemerges.

While prospective controlled studies demonstrating vitamin D's effectiveness in COVID-19 are still lacking, there are many such studies underway. You can review the status of these trials on clinicaltrials.gov.¹⁵ As of early June 2020, more than 20 studies had been launched to investigate the benefits of vitamin D against COVID-19.

The Most Important Paper I've Ever Written

For the last three weeks, I have been writing a comprehensive report on vitamin D in the prevention of COVID-19. The report has been reviewed by many vitamin D scientists for accuracy. This was done to develop a resource that everyone can share to help educate others. We will soon be launching a campaign to educate and inspire everyone, everywhere, to start optimizing their vitamin D level NOW. Please download my paper here, and share it with everyone you know.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

The purpose of this report is to help you understand why it is so important to optimize vitamin levels for healthy immune functions and then provide you with a detailed strategy of how to do that. This report can be used as a tool to teach your friends, family and community about why and how to be prepared for the next pandemic.

In it, I review the science of how your immune system works, and the regulatory role of vitamin D. I also explain how vitamin D reduces your risk of COVID-19 specifically, and how it helps suppress and control both acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and cytokine storms, which is a primary cause of death in COVID-19.

Darker-Skinned Individuals Need More Vitamin D

Vitamin D optimization is particularly important for dark-skinned individuals, as the darker your skin, the more sun exposure you need to raise your vitamin D level. Increased skin pigmentation reduces the efficacy of UVB because melanin functions as a natural sunblock.

If you're very dark-skinned, you may need to spend about 1.5 hours a day in the sun to have any noticeable effect. For many working adults and school-age children, this simply isn't feasible.

Light-skinned individuals may only need 15 minutes of full sun exposure a day, which is far easier to achieve. Still, they too will typically struggle to maintain ideal levels during the winter. During the winter months at latitudes of greater than 40°, little or no UVB radiation reaches the surface of the earth. That said, residence at low latitude does not guarantee adequate vitamin D levels, since social and cultural norms may limit sun exposure.¹⁶

As noted in the MedCram video above, black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are at an increased risk of death from COVID-19. While some have blamed this racial disparity on health care access, a far more likely reason for this is because dark-skinned individuals are far more likely to be deficient in vitamin D.

In fact, the paper cited by MedCram specifically looked at ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality among patients in England, where health care is freely available to all, so the health care access rationale doesn't seem to hold water.

Vitamin D Supplementation Recommended to Quell Mortality

The role of vitamin D is addressed in a reply¹⁷ by vitamin D researchers William Grant and Barbara Boucher to The BMJ editorial "Is Ethnicity Linked to Incidence or Outcomes of COVID-19?" They write, in part:

"The recent BMJ editorial by Khunti et al. asks 'Is ethnicity linked to incidence or outcomes of covid-19?' Here we outline how ethnicity relates to incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 due, in part, to lack of vitamin D because of increased skin pigmentation and diet …

A potentially important factor not considered in the PHE report was vitamin D deficiency, though mounting evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency is an important risk factor for acute respiratory tract infections and for COVID-19 …

Mounting evidence demonstrates that vitamin D has important roles in regulating the immune system that should reduce COVID-19 risks; primarily by reducing survival and replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and by reducing the risks of 'cytokine storms' by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokine production.

Vitamin D also promotes local ACE2 formation in the lungs, an effect known to reduce the severity of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Furthermore, higher baseline serum 25(OH)D concentrations are currently being reported to be associated with reduced rates of severe COVID-19 and of mortality."

Grant and Boucher go on to cite data from studies reviewed in "Vitamin D Combats Viral Infections and Boosts Immune System," which features my interview with vitamin D experts Bruce Hollis, Ph.D., Carole Baggerly and Dr. Carol Wagner. All of these researchers reviewed the vitamin D report I wrote for accuracy.

Grant and Boucher recommend advising the public to supplement vitamin D daily, especially black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, indoor workers, shift workers, the elderly, those in residential care or those confined to their homes, as well as those who are obese. Doing so might reduce COVID-19 severity and prevent unnecessary deaths.

"Vitamin D is readily available … 'over the counter' at supermarkets, chemists and online, but could be provided free to those in financial hardship or unable to access supplies," Grant and Boucher write, adding:

"Doses of 1,000 IU/day in general and of 4,000 IU/day for those at high risk of deficiency, as above, including the BAME groups, should be advised for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak …"

Sunscreen Advice Counters Lifesaving Vitamin D Message

Remarkably, while the importance of vitamin D against COVID-19 is becoming more widely recognized by doctors, some are still advising against either sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation, or both.

Some, such as Dr. Pieter Cohen, an internal medicine physician at Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts and an associate professor medicine at Harvard Medical School, is even discouraging people from getting their vitamin D level tested to see if they're deficient!¹⁸ A June 1, 2020, report on Today.com states:¹⁹

"The body can manufacture vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun or get it from food. 'I'm not making a general recommendation for supplements. I'm saying: To avoid vitamin D deficiency.

It will usually take only being outdoors, getting incidental sun exposure, plus paying attention to the dietary sources of vitamin D,' [Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard] noted.

Incidental sun exposure means getting some sunshine during a 30-minute walk or other outdoor exercise while wearing shorts or short sleeves (though you should still use sunscreen). It doesn't mean going out specifically to sun bathe."

The advice to wear sunscreen while getting "incidental" sun exposure is medically irrational and incorrect, since sunscreen filters out the very ultraviolet rays that trigger vitamin D production in your skin.

In order for sensible sun exposure to work, you need unprotected exposure. Just make sure you don't get sunburned. All you need is to stay out until your skin turns the lightest shade of pink. After that, cover up with long sleeves and pants. 

Manson is, however, starting a clinical trial to see whether taking a vitamin D supplement every day for a month after testing positive for COVID-19 might reduce the severity of any subsequent illness. The study will also assess whether vitamin D supplementation among other people in the same household might prevent them from developing COVID-19 when one family member has tested positive.²⁰

This is one of many prospective randomized controlled studies currently in progress seeking to find scientifically determine if vitamin D does indeed reduce the risk of COVID-19. If you are curious about the status of any of these studies or potentially even enrolling in any of them you can visit this link.

Help Us Spread the Word!

It is my sincere hope and desire that all of you will help us in this effort to spread the word about vitamin D and get your friends and family on board to get their vitamin levels optimized. We need a citizen army of activists to spread the word. My vitamin D report can help you in this effort. I urge you to share it with everyone you know. I hope to collaborate with all the major natural medical sites to participate in this process.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

Part of the strategy will be to share this information with influencers in the black community, such as pastors of black churches. They have the most to lose should a second wave of COVID-19 emerge because of their historically low levels of vitamin D.

It will also be important to reach out to mangers of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, as the elderly also have notoriously low vitamin D levels that put them at greater risk of COVID-19.

Remember, you now have a known "deadline" for optimizing your vitamin D level. Historically, December typically has highest flu activity in the U.S.,²¹ but it would probably be good to aim for October, or maybe even earlier depending on your location.

Again, the level you're aiming for is between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL by fall. In Europe, the measurements you're looking for are 150 nmol/L and 200 nmol/L. In my vitamin D report, I detail how to go about doing this, but here's a quick summary of the key steps:

I believe we have a good chance of preventing a second wave of COVID-19, but to do that, we need people to take action to protect their health and strengthen their immune function. Please help us in this lifesaving effort by sharing my vitamin D report.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

Again, the target populations are the elderly and people of color. It's now beyond evident that COVID-19 affects the elderly far more severely, on average, than younger individuals, and those living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities seem to be an extraordinarily increased risk of dying from COVID-19.

As you can see in the graphic below from June 2020, 42% of deaths occurred in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Add to that the increased hospitalization rate and mortality among people of color, and it should be easy to see that targeting these two groups with common-sense strategies such as vitamin D optimization can, and most likely will, have a tremendous impact.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

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The outbreak of SARS CoV-2 took the world by surprise. While it was only revealed in December 2019, by February 15, 2020, a Nature article recorded more than 80 clinical trials underway to test treatments.¹ These ranged from studies involving such things as Traditional Chinese medicine, herbs, stem cells from menstrual blood, and HIV drugs and malaria medications.

The virus can trigger a wide range of symptoms that affect people differently. The acronym SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as it often attacks lung cells.² Symptoms can appear from two to 14 days after exposure and may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle or body aches.³

The virus that triggers COVID-19 is not the same as those that cause the common cold or flu, yet many of the symptoms are similar. An upper respiratory tract infection causes irritation and swelling with cough and it’s one of the most common illnesses in children.⁴ Symptoms include headache, cough, congestion, fatigue and achy muscles and bones.

Flu is also a respiratory infection that generally affects up to 20% of those living in the United States each year.⁵ The symptoms are like the common cold, but they usually stick around longer and tend to be worse. Flu can lead to pneumonia, sinus infections and a worsening of other chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.

Elderberry May Boost Ability to Combat Viral Infections

What each of these conditions has in common is a viral attack on lung tissue. Of course, each of the viruses use different pathways and cause varying degrees of severity. For instance, the CDC estimates that up to 50% with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, or don’t have any symptoms.⁶

Elderberries have been used for many years to help treat upper respiratory infections. They are the fruit of the sambucus tree, the most important of which is sambucus nigra.⁷ The plant is also called the black elderberry and European elder with documented origins dating back to 2000 BC in Switzerland.⁸

Hippocrates was among the first physicians known to use elderberries.⁹ Currently, the fruit is available in various supplement forms such as gummies, syrups, pills and lozenges.¹⁰

In one study, researchers found that elderberries directly inhibited the ability of flu viruses to enter cells and replicate.¹¹ The same results have been found in past studies, but in this one scientists examined the exact mechanism using commercially cultivated elderberry.

Researchers from the University of Sydney were surprised to find that elderberry juice effectively inhibited replication of flu viruses after the cells had been infected.¹² This is significant, since blocking the virus at different stages increases the potential for an intervention to help prevent infection.

Anthocyanidin compounds, which are phytonutrients responsible for the fruit’s intense color, were credited with reducing viral activity. The results of this study supported past research in which adults suffering flu-like symptoms took elderberry syrup and experienced an average four-day faster recovery.¹³

Elderberry Is a Powerful Antiviral

Research on treatments for COVID-19 were started using those interventions previously used with SARS, MERS and/or influenza. In a recent paper, scholars called for the testing of elderberry supplements against COVID-19 as it has been “effective in cold and influenza by randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and meta-analysis.”¹⁴

The authors of this paper believe the use of products made from the fruit should be carefully guided, as “Elderberry supplements can be used in those with COVID-19 at an early course of disease, if you understand the previous efficacy of these and potential adverse effects.”¹⁵

In one investigation, researchers studied people traveling in airplanes as a test of the effectiveness that elderberries may have in infection rates and severity of the common cold.¹⁶ The clinical trial involved 312 economy-class travelers embarking on an international flight from Australia.

Data were collected on cold episodes, duration and symptoms. There was no statistically significant difference in infection rate between individuals taking elderberry syrup and those who didn't. However, participants who did not take elderberry had a significantly longer duration of cold days and severity of symptoms.

In a study published in late November 2019, researchers showed that elderberry syrup was effective against a strain of human coronavirus. They said, “Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), one of the main circulating HCoVs worldwide, causes respiratory tract illnesses like runny nose, cough, bronchiolitis and pneumonia.”¹⁷

Although not identical to COVID-19, the virus is a member of the same coronavirus family. In this study the researchers found that an ethanol extract of Sambucus Formosana Nakai had strong potential against HCoV-NL63.

In a separate study using sambucus nigra against infectious bronchitis virus, a pathogenic chicken coronavirus, a research team discovered that in cell culture, the extract can inhibit the virus at the point of infection.¹⁸

Dr. Irina Todorov, integrative medicine physician, was quoted in the Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials talking about elderberry syrup. She said:¹⁹

"If you have acid reflux, you drink chamomile tea. If you have abdominal bloating, you drink ginger or peppermint tea. One approach is to use specific products that have been studied in clinical research with positive effect.

Although some studies indicate that elderberry extract may relieve cold and flu symptoms, more research on a large scale is needed to support these findings. Meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy herbal tea made from elderflower and jam from elderberry as part of my diet.”

A meta-analysis was conducted in 2018 to examine the effects of elderberry supplementation in individuals with upper respiratory symptoms; the study team considered vaccination status in their evaluation.²⁰ Supplementation significantly reduced participants’ upper respiratory symptoms, with the authors noting that their findings:²¹

“… present an alternative to antibiotic misuse for upper respiratory symptoms due to viral infections, and a potentially safer alternative to prescription drugs for routine cases of the common cold and influenza.”

Elderberry Promotes a Balanced Immune System

One concern expressed by some experts is that elderberries could promote a cytokine storm. Cytokines are protein molecules produced by the body during an immune response. In some with COVID-19, this response is as destructive as the viral infection.

It's sometimes described as a runaway reaction triggered by a feedback loop that ultimately can result in death. Blocking the hyperinflammatory immune response is one pathway researchers are investigating to reduce the damage done by the body's reaction to the virus.²²

The impact of a cytokine storm on individuals who are suffering from viral infection is a significant reason for COVID-19 deaths. The question of cytokine storms related to botanical nutraceuticals was first raised in 2009 during the H5N1 flu pandemic.²³

However, it has become apparent that there is an incomplete understanding of cytokine behavior. Paul Bergner, director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, commented to a New Hope Network reporter that:²⁴

“In the lab dish, both echinacea and sambucus (elderberry) have been shown to stimulate immune-regulatory cytokines, making the inflammatory response more moderate, as well as inflammatory ones—with a net noninflammatory effect.”

Chris Masterjohn, Ph.D. believes he found the source of the first claim that elderberry could increase the risk of a cytokine storm. He traced it to a blog that is run by a retired U.S. Army intelligence officer, whose post was distributed through the internet through Reddit.²⁵

Masterjohn writes that in 2009, there was one randomized, placebo-controlled trial in which researchers tested the concept in humans who took 500 mg of elderberry extract every day for 12 weeks.²⁶ In this study, the participants showed no difference in their inflammatory markers.

This suggests that elderberries do not raise levels of inflammatory cytokines or contribute to a cytokine storm with flu or COVID-19. However, the participants were healthy and without infection, so Masterjohn dove deeper into other lab and animal experiments.

He reported that cytokine storms also happen to individuals with a severe case of flu. However, in two randomized control trials in people with flu who were using elderberry, cytokine storms did not occur. After a methodical review of the published literature, Masterjohn concluded:²⁷

“Elderberry has a good chance at providing the antiviral defense, with at best a very, very weak case it could contribute to a cytokine storm. In fact, the evidence suggests that if the cell studies have any relevance, elderberry would have an anti-inflammatory effect in the macrophages of the lung that could perhaps blunt a cytokine storm. So, the verdict: not guilty. And quite possibly a hero to be discovered.”

Nutrient Power in Elderberries

One of the reasons elderberries may have so many health benefits is that they are packed with nutrients. Fresh elderberries have about 36 mg of vitamin C for every 100 grams of fruit.²⁸ Although oranges have about 15 grams more per 96 gram serving, the little purple power-packed fruit has less sugar.^29,30

Elderberries also have 12% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A and 11% of vitamin B6. They are a good source of flavanols, including quercetin,³¹ which is known to have zinc ionophore activity.³² Another of the biologically active components of elderberries is phenolic acid.³³ These are known to have anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic qualities.³⁴

Anthocyanins are antioxidants that give the fruit its characteristic purple color and have strong anti-inflammatory effects.³⁵ Based on human and animal studies, researchers have found that anthocyanins induce anti-inflammatory effects and have anticarcinogenic activity.³⁶ Antioxidants, including those found in elderberries, can help prevent chronic disease.³⁷

Some Precautions With Fresh Elderberries

Elderberry extract has shown promising potential benefits, which you can read more about in “Elderberry Confirmed as Immunity Booster.” However, it's wise to take heed that the bark, seeds and unripe berries contain small amounts of lectin.³⁸ As I’ve written about before, lectins have been linked to autoimmune reactions and inflammation.

Additionally, in some instances the elderberry plants can release cyanide.³⁹ Symptoms of eating uncooked berries, leaves and roots are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.⁴⁰

Cooked berries and commercial elderberry syrup and supplements do not contain harmful substances. However, there is not enough data to establish safety for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Safety for pregnant women and nursing mothers has not been established. It is always important to speak with your practitioner before taking any medication while pregnant or breastfeeding.

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