elder berries

godismysunshine

what is the problem caused by swallowing 2 dried elder berries every day for arthritis

LaurieLovesLearning

@godismysunshine I've actually never actually never heard of using elderberry for arthritis. However, there are other herbal alternatives that I've run across that do help.

One is a simple & easy to make chokecherry juice concentrate. You take 2 Tbsp./day. It is actually not too bad, even without sugar. I was actually quite surprised. 😆 I have instructions for making this on the forum. The search function should bring it up.

Considering that I hadn't heard of this use for elderberry, I went on a hunt to find more about it. I do know that consuming raw elderberries is not recommended due to the cyanide-inducing chemical that it contains. The berries should be both ripe & cooked before ingesting.

The berries can stimulate the immune system, so they are not recommended for anyone with an auto-ummune disorder, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Elderberry can interact with a variety of medications as well. It is best to do your research on this prior to ingesting, as you should with any plant/herb.

Torey

@godismysunshine I have never heard of using elderberry for arthritis, either. While elderberry is anti-inflammatory, its not usually for inflammation associated with arthritis. More for inflammation in the respiratory tract.

Herbs are more specific than NSAIDs that are taken for general inflammation. Herbs usually have an affinity for specific body system, although there are some that are multi purpose.

Elderberry is considered a food medicine and is usually given in much higher doses than you have indicated. I doubt very much that two berries per day would be beneficial. Nor would it be dangerous in that small of an amount.

The cyanogenic compound in elderberry are in the seed. If you are swallowing 2 of them whole, it shouldn't be much of a problem as the seeds will likely pass intact through the digestive tract. Its when they are crushed that the compounds are released. But I certainly wouldn't be eating a lot of them raw! I really don't like doing anything that might upset my digestive tract.:) Cooking neutralized those compounds, too, as Laurie has indicated.

I'm wondering if you are thinking of juniper berries? There is an old recipe that has floated around involving gin and raisins. One of those "fad" treatment ideas. Soak raisins (and maybe something else) in gin for a couple of weeks and then eat a couple of raisins every day. Supposedly they absorb the juniper compounds from the gin, assisting with eliminating toxins that build up aggravating arthritis. Again, I don't think there would be enough of a medicinal effect in a couple of raisins to do the job. Or even a couple of whole juniper berries.

Cherry juice (sour cherries or chokecherries) is a very good thing to take regularly to assist with arthritis and gout. There are many other things that can be taken on a regular basis to relieve inflammation.

Turmeric is one of the herbs that affects the body systemically (all body systems). It can be taken daily in food quantities or in capsule form or in the beverage Golden Mylk.

Ginger is another "food" medicine that can be added to many things, consumed as a tea or taken in capsules. Similar to turmeric, ginger affects many body systems.

If you are going to be adding ginger or turmeric to your food, black pepper is recommended as an add-in to aid in absorption.

Omega-3s are an important component in alleviating arthritic inflammation. If you're not getting enough cold water fatty fish or grass fed meat in your diet you may need to supplement. A good quality salmon oil will give you omega-3s and vitamin D.

SuperC

Chockcherry juice concentrate, 2T a day aids in arthritis flareups. Good to know. Thanks @LaurieLovesLearning

annbeck62

@Torey interesting you mention the raisin soaked in gin remedy. I came across that on a website of old time remedies. A friend of mine has bad arthritis so I'm trying it now. There was quite a few success stories posted, all antidotal of course but real people reporting real results. It did say you have to make sure you use real gin (actually made from juniper berries) golden raisins (non-organic). Nine raisins per day is what the remedy calls for although no one knows why that is the magic number. And there was the caution it takes 6-8 weeks to notice results so you have to stick with it. It also mentioned some people get better results with sloe gin. This person's arthritis is bad enough that we are trying it with both types of gin. It's only been a week so can't report any results yet. But will report back in a couple months.

Torey

It will be interesting to hear your results @annbeck62.

Don't forget to include other things that your person might be doing in the meantime to relieve the pain. That could have an effect on how the gin-raisin remedy works.