Please click HERE to watch Dr. Litchy-Miller discuss this topic.
Some of you have been hearing, or reading, that the use of Elderberry can produce something called a “cytokine storm.” This cytokine storm is often the reason patients with COVID-19 succumb to the disease. So, should you be taking elderberry right now? Great question!
What is the difference between a “cytokine,” and a “cytokine storm?”
A cytokine is an essential part of the immune system. Cytokines are responsible for communicating with cells in the immune system. This communication directs immune cells to sites of infection in the body to resolve them, or “fight them off.” This is known as an “inflammatory response.” This initial inflammatory response, also known as innate immunity, is a good thing. This is the body’s way of healing itself. Common inflammatory responses you may have experienced include fever, fatigue, body aches, and nausea. While these inflammatory responses may produce temporary discomfort, without them, we may become very ill.
A cytokine storm is when there is an excessive and unregulated production of cytokines. In this situation, the body is not only unable to control the production of cytokines, but also the level of inflammation that results from cytokine communication in the immune system. In a cytokine storm, the increasingly high levels of inflammation will often lead to tissue damage, followed by organ failure, and even death.
While cytokine storms are quite rare, they can occur in situations such as influenza infection, toxic shock syndrome, as side effects of pharmaceutical medications such as monoclonal antibody therapy, and of course, COVID-19.
Elderberry is a herbal medicine, used by Naturopathic doctors and herbalists for decades, if not centuries. It is often used to prevent and treat infections, including viral infections.
The use of Elderberry has been shown to prevent viruses from entering healthy cells. This is important because once a virus has entered a healthy cell, it will replicate and make many more copies of itself that will infect more healthy cells. As more and more healthy cells become infected with the virus, you feel more and more unwell. Also, a larger number of infected cells will put a bigger strain on the immune system that is working hard to resolve the infection.
Elderberry also has what are known as “immune-modulating” effects. What this means is that once the immune system produces the initial inflammatory response (innate immunity) against a foreign invader, Elderberry can assist in preventing additional inflammation from getting out of control and producing potential harm.
So, should you take Elderberry if you have COVID-19?
While there is plenty of evidence to support the use of Elderberry in the prevention and treatment of viral infections, there is currently no evidence to support its use during an active COVID-19 infection.
If you are wondering whether taking Elderberry is right for you, please schedule a consult with one of the doctors at Neighborhood Naturopathic, or talk to your licensed health care provider who is specifically trained in herbal medicine and drug/herb interactions.
