What happened to Sambucol?

[cootie]

The lady at my local Whole Foods natural market said that the reason Sambucol was off the market was because they misrepresented their product by either:

 

listing something on their ingredient list that was not in the product

 

or

 

not having an ingredient in their product that is listed on their ingredient list.

 

 

Now I know why I have not been able to find any. I'm glad I stocked up a while ago, but now I'm wondering if there is anything wrong with the Sambucol that I have. I asked the same lady if the elderberry brand on the shelf was compareable to Sambucol and her response was "at least they have everything correct on their ingredient list."

 

Makes you wonder.

 

 

[Andrea]

Hmmm. Thanks for the heads up. I hadn't heard this and I haven't bought any Sambucol in quite some time (haven't need too!)

[PureCajunSunshine]

I'm willing to bet that there is nothing wrong with your Sambucol. (Too many satisfied users!)

 

 

I'll post my recipe for homemade Elderberry Syrup (gimme a few days). It works real well!

 

'tis a nonalcoholic syrup that's great for children and alcoholics. It's a sugar syrup, so it's not good for diabetics.

[Mother]

Elderberry syrup is great for regular flu and for certain immune boosting needs but remember that it DOES boost the immune system. That might be bad for those who have auto-immune diseases and possibly for the Avian Flu.

 

We often equate herbal use with safety. Herbal medicines are very effective, often more effective than it's allopathic counterpart. It's just the reason I advocate them but be cautious in their use.

 

[ArmyOfFive4God]

Originally Posted By: Mother

Elderberry syrup is great for regular flu and for certain immune boosting needs but remember that it DOES boost the immune system. That might be bad for those who have auto-immune diseases and possibly for the Avian Flu.

We often equate herbal use with safety. Herbal medicines are very effective, often more effective than it's allopathic counterpart. It's just the reason I advocate them but be cautious in their use.

You lost me. Can you spell that out, plz?

[Mother]

Elderberry is thought to works with the regular flu because it boosts the immune system by strengthening the cytokine storm. With the Avian Flu and with auto and hyper immune diseases, it is the cytokine storms that cause the problems. The body overreacts to the very action in the system that is supposed to heal.

 

Here's a recent thread on the Cytokine storm.

 

http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthrea...true#Post166303

 

You might have to scroll up or down to read it all.

 

Plainly speaking, there is some evidence with the bird flu, unlike the regular flu, that it is the overproduction of cytokine response that causes the serious complications of the Bird Flu. If elderberry increases that it might mean it could worsen the disease.

 

Elderberry CAN reduce the viral load, at least with regular flu and other infections, and it's possible that if it were taken before contracting the bird flu it might help check the progress of the disease but it's not something that a person should take continuously as it could put your immune system into over load. The timing, kind of like the Tamiflu, would have to be very crutial.

 

There is quite a lot of info in this forum on Elderberry and if you do a search I believe you will find a lot of pros and cons, including recipes for making your own elderberry syrup.

 

Elderberries were know to have been used during the 1918 flu with varying degrees of success. I wonder if perhaps it was effective for those with very poor immune systems to begin with.