A standardized elderberry extract can modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota and prevent several health problems.
Daily supplementation with 600 mg of an elderberry extract may increase the diversity of the gut microbiota, with a specific increase in levels of the beneficial Akkermansia, according to the Elder Gut study, published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine. Three weeks of elderberry extract supplementation produced changes in the gut microbiota of healthy young volunteers.
Elderberry extract is very rich in polyphenols and these are related to the increase of Akkermansia and the species A. muciniphila in particular. In rodent studies, treatment with A. muciniphila reduces obesity and related disorders such as glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and intestinal permeability.
The species A. muciniphila has an abundance of about 3% in the human colon and is inversely correlated with body mass index, type 1 diabetes and intestinal disease in humans. Akkermansia is known to produce nutrients that feed the cells responsible for producing the intestinal mucus layer, which helps maintain barrier function, control intestinal permeability, and low-grade inflammation.
THE EFFECTS ARE MAINTAINED OVER TIME
The nine-week Elder Gut study included 30 men and women aged 18 to 50. The volunteers underwent an initial observation period of three weeks, which provided the researchers with robust baseline data. This was followed by three weeks of supplementation with Elder Craft’s standardized elderberry extract (300 mg twice daily), and then an additional three-week “washout” period (without supplements) to close the study.
The metagenomic data revealed that elderberry extract led to “a profound change in diversity indices from the onset of and after tramatientos.” Akkermansia bacteria increased during the supplementation period, and these increases continued during the final three-week washout phase in a subset of people.
Importantly, the researchers also report that participants tolerated the supplement well.
Moreover, the researchers observed that the consumption of vegetable fats is related to an increase in Akkermansia levels.
PROPERTIES OF ELDERBERRY
Elderberry has other beneficial properties. A number of indications for elderberry flowers, berries, leaves, or elderberry bark can be found in the medical literature.
- Infusion of elderflowers and berry extract (300 mg, three times a day) reduce the intensity and duration of flu and cold symptoms, according to a study conducted at the Technical University of Queensland and published in the journal Nutrients.
- Several studies indicate that it acts positively on several risk factors for the heart: hypertension, high blood sugar and uric acid levels.
- The high content of antioxidant compounds collaborates with immunity in the fight against the damaging effects of free radicals generated by energy metabolism or from abroad.
- The hydroalcoholic extract of elderberry increases urinary frequency (diuresis) and the excretion of salts, a study published in Phytotherapy Research has proven. This property, in addition to favoring the elimination of toxins, prevents the formation of kidney stones.
