Good News About Bird Flu Would you like some good news about bird flu for a change? Scientists in the UK recently tested a standardized extract of black elderberry called Sambucol. In a laboratory experiment, Sambucol effectively neutralized the H5N1 bird flu virus. This is positive, but it's a little too early to call it promising. If H5N1 mutates into a virus capable of spreading from human to human, and if Sambucol is effective in neutralizing that mutation, THEN we might really have something. In the meantime, Sambucol is available right now for use against the seasonal flu. In the e-Alert "Respect for your Elders" (1/5/04), I told you about Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu, a virologist who created Sambucol by isolating compounds in black elderberry that disable the protein that viruses use to infect healthy cells. In two human trials conducted in Israel and Norway, subjects with the flu who took Sambucol significantly reduced their recovery period compared to subjects who were given a placebo. On average, Sambucol subjects in both studies reduced their recovery time to about three days. Average recovery time in the placebo groups was between six and seven days. In another laboratory study conducted in 2001, Sambucol was shown to increase the production of inflammatory cytokines - the proteins that regulate the immune system. Researchers believe this response may help activate the immune response. More research will be required to fully demonstrate Sambucol's effectiveness in neutralizing flu virus - especially H5N1. In the meantime, you can find Sambucol in many health food stores and through sources on the Internet. Sources:
"Sambucol Fights Bird Flu Virus in Lab" NutraIngredients, 1/26/06, nutraingredients.com
"Inhibition of Several Strains of Influenza Virus in Vitro and Reduction of Symptoms by an Elderberry Extract (Sambucus nigra L.) During an Outbreak of Influenza B Panama" Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, v. 1, no. 4, Winter 1995, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"The Effect of Sambucol, a Black Elderberry-Based, Natural Product, on the Production of Human Cytokines: I. Inflammatory Cytokines" European Cytokine Network, v. 12, no. 2, April-June 2001, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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