WSJ: Elderberry may be good for the flu

NEW YORK — The Wall Street Journal on Monday featured PharmaCare's Sambucol Black Elderberry product in an article titled, "Elderberry as a Flu Remedy." 

The WSJ reported that "there is preliminary evidence that the berry — often consumed as a syrup or lozenge — can shorten the duration of flu symptoms." There is "scant evidence," however, that it does the same for the common cold, the paper reported.  

Citing a review article published in January in the Journal of Dietary Supplements, the WSJ noted that scientists gave the berry a grade of "B" — denoting "good scientific evidence" for treatment of influenza, but that more research is needed. 

The elderberry formulation tested in two of the clinical studies reviewed in the Journal of Dietary Supplements is sold as a syrup under the Sambucol brand, WSJ reported.