At the beginning of 2020, the world erupted in panic and pandemic. Immune system healing medicines and herbal over-the-counter remedies that were usually overstocked in our local health food stores, were scarce and on backorder. One immune system healing herb that the world could not get enough of was elderberries.
At the time, since I could not purchase any elderberry syrup locally, I decided to make my own from scratch! After ordering 1 lb of dried elderberries from a US farmer out west, around 3 to 5 mason jars full of healing goodness was produced from my first attempt. I was able to give jars away to close family and friends - and even had an aunt drive in from Orlando to pick up a jar for her family.
Within Traditional Chinese Medicine - Specifically, in regards to benefitting the immune system - elderberries have the following functions within the body [1]:
Releases Exterior - translation - Diaphoretic or promotes sweating in order to expel external pathogens from superficial levels of the body. [2]
Clears Heat - translation - Antipyretic or clears away interior heat from the body. [3]
Dispels Wind - translation - External Wind is characterized by rapid onset and quickly changing symptoms that affect the upper body and the surface of the body. Typical symptoms that are seen clinically include headaches, stuffy nose or congestion, facial pain, stiff neck and shoulder, and hip and back pain. [4]
Resolves Damp - translation - Dampness is a condition that you get when your body doesn't have the optimal condition to remove the excessive water from within the body. [5]
Tonifies the Lungs - translation - Strengthen the immune system support function of the lungs. [6]
Expels Phlegm - translation - Removing the pathological accumulation of fluids from within the body. [7]
Promotes Urination - translation - Diuretic or removes excess fluids from the body through urination. [8]
Resolves Swellings - translation - Edema is fluid retention and it occurs when there is too much fluid (mainly water) in the body’s tissues, causing swelling to occur in the affected area. It mainly affects the legs, ankles and feet. The swelling is usually related to the venous (veins) system, or the lymphatic system (tubes that carry lymph, a fluid that helps fight infection and clear fluid). [9]
Reduces Inflammation - translation - Anti-inflammatory or safely suppresses proinflammatory pathways and control inflammation-associated disease. [10]
Wow ... that is a LOT! Now I can understand why this herb was so hard to find during the heart of the pandemic. Here is a great step-by-step recipe for making your very own elderberry syrup for your family. #HealOnPurpose
Key Words: Elderberries, Elderberry Syrup, 2020 Pandemic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, Immune System, and Healing.
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