Common Names--European elder, black elder, elder, elderberry, elder flower, sambucus

Latin Names--Sambucus nigra

• What European Elder Tree or Elderberry Is Used For
  • Parts of the elder tree--such as the berries and flowers--have long been used for pain, swelling, infections, coughs, and skin conditions.
  • Today, elder berry and elder flower are used for flu, colds, fevers, constipation, and sinus infections.
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• How European Elder Tree or Elderberry Is Used
  The dried flowers (elder flower) and the cooked blue/black berries (elderberry) of the European elder tree are used in teas, liquid extracts, and capsules.
• What the Science Says about European Elder Tree or Elderberry
  • Although some small studies show that european elder berry may relieve flu symptoms, the evidence is not strong enough to support this use of the European elder berry.
  • A few studies have suggested that a product containing elder flower and other herbs can help treat sinus infections when used with antibiotics, but further research is needed to confirm any benefit.
  • No reliable information is available on the effectiveness of elderberry and elder flower for other uses.
  • According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), elderberry may help ease pain, swelling, infection, cough, skin conditions, flu, cold, fever, constipation and sinus infections. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) says there are few side effects associated with short-term use of elderberry. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate elderberry; the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends consulting a physician prior to taking elderberry.
• Side Effects and Cautions of European elder tree or Elderberry
  • Uncooked or unripe european elder tree berries are toxic and can cause nausea, vomiting, or severe diarrhea. Only the blue/black berries of elder are edible.
  • Because of European elder tree flower's possible diuretic effects, use caution if taking it with drugs that increase urination.
  • Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This helps to ensure coordinated and safe care.

  Folklore, Superstition, Legends and tales about magic referring to the Elder Tree: Source verbatim from: www.answers.com

  Many superstitions and legends are associated with the elder tree and shrub (genus Sambucus). In some cultures, it is identified with the tree on which Judas hanged himself as well as with the wood used for the Cross. In some parts of Scotland and Wales, it was believed that the dwarf elder grew only on ground that had been soaked in blood. Elder was not used for a child's cradle because it could cause the child to pine or be harried by fairies. In Germany it was considered unlucky to bring an elder branch into a house, because it might also bring ghosts, or, in England, the Devil himself.
  
  However, elder was also believed to protect against evil, and it was thought that wherever it grew witches were powerless. In England gardens were sometimes protected by having elder trees planted at the entrance, or in hedges around the garden. In some parts of the United States, an elder stick was burned on the fire at Christmas Eve to reveal witches, sorcerers, and other evil wishers in the neighborhood. In the Tyrol, it was believed that an elder stick cut on St. John's Eve (June 23) would detect witchcraft.
  
  Many old gardens in Britain retained into the twentieth century some of the protective elder trees. The folklorist James Napier recalled: "In my boyhood, I remember that my brothers, sisters, and myself were warned against breaking a twig or branch from the elder hedge which surrounded my grandfather's garden. We were told at the time as a reason for this prohibition, that it was poisonous; but we discovered afterwards that there was another reason, viz., that it was unlucky to break off even a small twig from a bourtree bush [old name for elder]."
  
  In some parts of Europe, this superstition was so strong that before pruning the elder, the gardener would say, "Elder, elder may I cut thy branches?" If no response was heard, it was considered that permission had been given, and then, after spitting three times, the pruner began his cutting. Another writer claimed that elderwood formed a portion of the fuel used in burning human bodies as protection against evil influences, and drivers of funeral hearses had their whip handles made of elder for a similar reason.
  
  In some parts of Scotland, people would not put a piece of elderwood into the fire. Napier observed one instance where "pieces of this wood were lying around unused when the neighbourhood was in great straits for firewood; but none would use it, and when asked why? the answer was: 'We don't know, but folks say it is not lucky to burn the bourtree."'
  
  Elderberries gathered on St. John's Eve were believed to ward off witchcraft and to bestow magic powers. If the elder was planted in the form of a cross upon a new grave and it bloomed, this was a sure sign that the soul of the dead person was happy.
  
  Various magic powers against illness were claimed for elder. In Massachusetts, elder pulp in a bag worn around the neck was thought to cure rheumatism. Elsewhere elder was also used as an amulet, small pieces being cut up and sewn into a knot and hung around the neck or sewn in a knot in a piece of a man's shirt. Elder was also believed to be of medicinal value for deafness, faintness, strangulation, sore throat, ravings, snake and dog bites, insomnia, melancholy, and hypochondria.
  

Medication Interactions of Elederberrry

According to the UMMC, elderberry can react with numerous prescription medications. Elderberry has diuretic properties, and users should not combine it with other diuretics because of the risk of dehydration. Those who take diabetic medications that lower blood sugar should not take elderberry, because elderberry has blood sugar-lowering capabilities that can lead to hypoglycemia, a complication of diabetes characterized by extremely low blood sugar. Elderberry may also increase the side effects of chemotherapy drugs and interfere with the drug theophylline, an asthma medication, and immunosuppressants like prednisone.

The decision to use herbs to improve your health is, as with all health decisions, a personal one. There are, however, many good reasons to consider herbal products to  complement your own health care methods. One of the best reason, however, may be the fact that herbs and herbal products, continue to provide real health benefits while maintaining a remarkable safety profile. Readily available natural substances were the first medicines used by humans. Primitive and ancient civilizations as well as contemporary cultures throughout the world have always relied on herbs to provide the benefits that have been observed with their use. In fact, the World Health Organization has estimated that 80 percent of the world's population continues to use traditional therapies, a major part of which are derived from plants, as their primary health care tools. In our own time and culture, most herbs are available in the form of "herbal supplements." These products are found in the form of teas, tablets, capsules, liquid extracts, and others. We now have ready access to products that bring the herbal traditions from all over the world in a variety of convenient forms. In addition, scientific inquiries continue to develop our knowledge of the benefits of plants, and often validate the observations made over the past centuries.