What is Elderberry?

Elderberries are glossy, tart, deep-purple fruits of the Sambucus tree. Among many varieties, the most common one is the European elder or black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) [R].

Native to Europe, black elderberry today grows across America, Asia, and North Africa. The tree is up to 30 feet tall, with a brownish-gray bark and fragrant white flowers. The fruits are small, dark-colored berries, sometimes appearing almost black [R].

Snapshot

Proponents:

• Helps fight the cold and flu
• Kills viruses & bacteria
• Great nutritional value
• Relieves gum inflammation
• May protect the skin and heart

Skeptics:

• Most benefits lack solid clinical evidence
• Leaves, seeds, bark, and raw berries are potentially toxic
• May not be safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women

Uses in Traditional Medicine

All parts of black elderberry are used in folk medicine. The flowers and leaves are natural remedies for reducing pain, swelling, and inflammation. Preparations from the bark are taken to stimulate urination and bowel movements. Fresh or dried berries are thought to relieve headaches, toothaches, low back pain, respiratory infections, as well as constipation [R, R].

Modern Uses

Recent research voices the traditional wisdom. Flavonoids discovered in the flowers and fruits of elderberry trees have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. People use it to combat flu, respiratory infections, and more [R].

Furthermore, Sambucus nigra has become popular in the food industry. The berries are often used to make refreshing, sweet-tart juices, jams, jellies, pies, punches, and wines. Elderflowers are boiled to prepare a soothing, creamy tea or syrup or added to the batter when baking [R, R].

Black, Blue, and Red Elderberry – What’s the Difference?

Elderberry supplements – such as syrups, lozenges, capsules, tea, and powder – are all typically made from the European, black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) [R, R].

The three other well-known elderberry varieties include the following [R, R]:

• American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
• Blue elderberry (

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What Are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are a broad group of enzymes that break down large nutrients such as fats, proteins, and carbs into smaller ones your body can absorb easier. The body naturally produces most of these enzymes in the pancreas, while smaller amounts are made in the stomach, small intestine, and mouth [R, R, R, R].

The following enzymes help you soak up nutrients from specific foods [R, R, R, R]:

• Proteases break down proteins into amino acids
• Lipases break down fats into fatty acids
• Amylases break down carbs into simple sugars, such as glucose

Their main role is to aid your digestion, and the amount and activity of these enzymes in your body depend on a complex set of factors. People use supplemental enzymes to improve digestion, relieve inflammation, gut infections, pain, and more.

Health Benefits

Please note: most health benefits are limited to specific combinations or individual enzymes, and they may not translate to digestive enzymes as a whole.

Effective:

1) Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)

In exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), the pancreas is not working properly and is not producing sufficient digestive enzymes (proteases, amylases, lipases).

Causes of EPI include pancreas inflammation (pancreatitis), pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatic surgery. Symptoms include maldigestion, stomach pain, gas, diarrhea, weight loss, and excess fat in stool [R, R, R].

In multiple clinical trials with over 750 adults and children with EPI, prescription digestive enzymes (pancrelipase, pancreatin) increased fat and protein absorption, decreased fat in the stool, reduced gas and stomach pain, and improved stool consistency and quality of life [R, R, R, R, R, R].

Based on these results, the FDA has approved prescription pancreatic enzymes for the treatment of EPI. However, digestive enzyme supplements are much less potent than prescription products, and the FDA doesn’t assure their quality. They should never be used instead of prescription enzymes for a diagnosed condition.

Possibly Effective:

The post 11 Digestive Enzymes Supplement Benefits + Side Effects appeared first on SelfHacked.

Marigold Products and Supplements

For the improvement of skin conditions, wounds, and burns, both marigold plants (Calendula, Tagetes) come in various forms: paste, tincture, oil, ointment, ear drops, mouth rinse, herbal tea, gel, and cream [R, R].

Some commercial ointments contain pot marigold or calendula (Calendula officinalis) extracts, such as Plenusdermax, and Pommade au Calendula par Digestion [R, R].

However, the preparation of these products varies from brand to brand. Some products may not be standardized [R].

Dosage

There is no safe and effective dose of marigold for any health purpose because no sufficiently powered study has been conducted to find one. That said, clinical studies have observed benefits associated with certain doses. This dosage varied in studies and depended on the form of supplementation.

For wounds, burns, and cramps, either 2 – 4 ml of calendula (Calendula officinalis) tincture diluted to 250 – 500 ml water or 2 – 5 g of calendula in 100 g of ointment. Topical applications may be applied 3 – 4 times daily [R, R, R, R].

For oral health, 2 ml of pot marigold tincture diluted in 6 ml of water, and this mix used as a mouth rinse twice daily for 6 months has been used [R].

For ear infections, 5 drops of the herbal ear drop solution containing calendula 3 times a day were used [R, R, R].

Making Your Own Calendula Skin Care Products

How to Make Calendula Oil

You will need:

• 1/4 cup pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) flowers*
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or avocado oil or almond oil)

Instructions:

1. Place calendula petals in a clean, dry glass jar.
2. Pour enough olive oil so that the petals are covered by about one inch of oil.
3. Seal jar with a tight-fitting lid and leave on a sunny windowsill for 4 – 6 weeks. Shake the jar once a day. The olive oil will change into a golden color.
4. After 4 – 6 weeks, strain the herbs with a mixer (or a cheesecloth) and pour the liquid into a clean glass jar.

The post How to Use Calendula (Marigold) Supplements & DIY Recipes appeared first on SelfHacked.

What are Marigolds?

Marigold plants of the Calendula and Tagetes genera have different origins and somewhat distinctive qualities. Both are members of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and bloom gorgeous colorful flowers. Some species of Marigolds are mainly used as decorative garden plants, while the flowers and leaves of other species have been nurtured as remedies in both European and Native American folk medicine [R, R].

Mediterranean Marigolds

The Calendula genus is native to central Europe and the Mediterranean. It includes 25 species, the most common ones being English or pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) and field marigold (Calendula arvensis) [R].

Pot marigold or common marigold is also simply known as calendula. It has been used since the 12th century for its medicinal properties. Due to its triterpenoids and flavonoids, pot marigold is being investigated for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer properties [R, R, R].

Field marigold has been used traditionally in Spanish and Italian folk medicine for fevers, reducing inflammation, and fighting cancer. People would crush the leaves and use them to close wounds while the flowers were applied to burns.

Animal and cell-based studies confirmed some of the traditional uses but also uncovered the antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties of this herb [R, R, R].

Native American & Other Marigolds

The Tagetes plants include 56 species native to South America, and nowadays cultivated in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Traditionally, their ornamental flowers were used to make decorations and accompany ceremonies [R].

Thienyls from the roots of these plants have antifungal properties, whereas terpenoids from flowers and leaves have antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Aside from being bug repellants, they are used as remedies for dental, stomach, gut, and emotional problems [R].

Tagetes erecta, commonly known as Aztec marigold is native to Mexico. Historically, the Aztecs used this plant as a remedy for boils, injuries, headaches, earaches, stomach aches, and colds. Studies show that Aztec marigold also has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer and antidepressant properties [R, R, R, R].

Tagetes lucida

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