Elderberries: Benefits, Uses, Nutritional Value and Warning

Elderberries are very tempting and delicious fruits that you can have. It is purple ion colour and very juicy. It is loaded with nutrients needed for the body. This makes it great for your health. It is also used as a beauty product.

Elderberries Health and Medicinal Benefits:

Cardiovascular protection:

As you know, fruits and vegetable are very beneficial for keeping your heart healthy. Elderberries contain high amounts of fibre, which help in getting rid of the excess cholesterol from the body. As a result, there is a lowering of the bad cholesterol and increase of good cholesterol in the body. This helps in the elimination of the chances of developing atherosclerosis and other problems of the cardiovascular system. This fruit also contains potassium in high amounts. This helps in relaxing the blood vessels and arteries, thereby protecting the heart. Potassium is essential for lowering the blood pressure and keeps your heart healthy.

Cancer prevention:

This fruit is loaded with antioxidants. This makes it amazing for inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. In addition these antioxidants also fight against the free radicals that tend to become cancerous and destroy the healthy cells. So, consume this fruit regularly to protect your body from various types of cancer.

Fruits rich in fiber content:

Elderberries contain dietary fibre in high amounts. A single serving of this fruit provides your body with almost 40% of the fibre you need per day. This way consuming this fruit is good for preventing and treating constipation, reducing excess gas and for increasing the health of your gastrointestinal system. Fibre can also help in increasing the amount of nutrients your body can assimilate, so, you get more out of the food you consume.

Good for diabetic patients:

Elderberries contain some antioxidants that can work directly on the pancreas and  helps in regulating the insulin and glucose levels in the body by either offering stability to people suffering from diabetes or helping people, who do not have the disease, not to develop this condition.

Healthy, youthful skin:

Elderberry has great anti-aging and free-radical fighting properties. So, this fruit is great for keeping your skin radiant and young looking for a looking period. It also has detoxifying properties, which help in warding off distressing skin conditions like breakouts, scars, boils and so on.

Immunity booster:

Elderberries are rich sources of Vitamin C, Flavonoids, anthocyanins and other powerful antioxidants. All these have helped in making this fruit great for enhancing your immunity power. It is used as a natural remedy for the treatment viral and bacterial infections like cough, cold, flu as well as tonsillitis.

Like the cough syrups that you get in the market, elderberry juice contains active ingredients that help in soothing the inflammation irritation. This juice also acts as an expectorant and clear out the phlegm that may trap foreign agents in your glands. People with asthma are also advised to consume elderberry juice.

Regulates body’s cholesterol level:

The extract of elderberry contains large amounts of cynidine glucosides. This is a substance that has the ability to lower the levels of bad LDL cholesterol in the body. So, if you are experiencing cholesterol problems, you should consume elderberry regularly. This will help to solve the problem.

Robust eyes, lasting vision:

Carrots are the vegetables that are known for their vision enhancing properties since ages. But if you do not like the taste of carrots, you can substitute them with elderberry. This fruit is loaded with Vitamin A and B6, and are great for preventing various problems of the eyes including macular degeneration and glaucoma. This way it helps in providing you a lasting vision.

Elderberries nutritional value:

Elderberries are packed with essential vitamins and minerals needed for the body. These nutrients make elderberries a healthy food. It also has healing properties. 100 gm of this fruit is said to contain 60% of Vitamin C, 12% of Vitamin A, 11% of Vitamin B6, 5% of thiamine and 4% of riboflavin. All these vitamins are important for the proper functioning of your body and help in keeping your body fit and healthy.

These fruits also contain minerals in high amounts. It contains 9% iron, 8% potassium and 4% of calcium and phosphorous each. So, consuming elderberries is a way to make sure that your body is able to perform its activities properly.

Adding elderberries in your regular diet is an excellent way to improve the functioning of your digestive system. This is because it is rich in fibre.  A single serving of elderberries can provide you almost 28% of the fibre that you require daily. This way it helps in the efficient working of your digestive system.

Elderberry Poisonous Warning:

• Although elderberries are known for their immense health and beauty benefits, you should be cautious when you consume this fruit. This is because it contains a little amount of a chemical that has the properties of cyanide. This can be poisonous for the body and cause many side effects if you consume it regularly.
• Always cook the berries before you use them. This is because they are not suitable for consumption in the raw form. Another thing to keep in mind is that the berries you consume should be fully ripe.
• There are numerous varieties of elderberries. Among them the black one are most suitable for consumption. Other varieties may contain some amounts of toxic substances in them.
• Pregnant women and people suffering from autoimmune diseases should completely avoid eating elderberries.