Evidence supporting the use of: Elderberry
For the health condition: Cough (general)

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has a long history of use in traditional medicine for treating respiratory ailments, including coughs. Folk remedies from Europe and North America often included elderberry syrups or teas as a treatment for colds, flu, and associated coughs. The berries and flowers of the elderberry plant were traditionally believed to have immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties, which could help relieve cough symptoms. The traditional use of elderberry for cough is well documented in herbal medicine texts and ethnobotanical surveys.

From a scientific standpoint, evidence specifically supporting elderberry's effectiveness for general cough is limited. Some clinical studies have examined elderberry's effects on influenza and cold symptoms, finding modest reductions in symptom duration and severity, which may include cough. The primary mechanism is thought to be elderberry's content of flavonoids, which may have antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. However, there are few rigorous studies directly investigating elderberry for cough as an isolated symptom. As such, while tradition strongly supports its use for cough, scientific validation remains limited and indirect.

In summary, elderberry's use for cough is primarily justified by traditional usage, with only low to moderate scientific evidence supporting its efficacy for general cough symptoms.

More about elderberry
More about Cough (general)

Other ingredients used for Cough (general)

Allspice
Aloe vera
alpha-pinene
apple
Waterhyssop
bamboo
basil
benegut perilla (proprietary)
beta-pinene
black cumin
black currant
black pepper
radish
Indian frankincense
carrot
cassia bark
cat's claw
chen pi
Chinese salvia root
cinnamon
clove
cowage seed
turmeric
elderberry
fennel
garlic bulb
ginger
glehnia root
grape
Greek mountain tea
onion
green tea
heartwood
Indian tinospora
jujube
lemon
licorice root
lovage
Marshmallow
Nettle
ophiopogon root
orange
oregano
parsley
pear
perilla
phellodendron amurense
platycodon root
plum fruit
polygala root
pomegranate
pumpkin
raspberry
spearmint leaf
Sphaeranthus indicus
thyme
vitamin C
zhejiang fritillary
Zinc
sarsaparilla
boneset
Mullein
tangerine
hyssop
atractylodes
lobelia
capsicum
Indian bael
Neem tree
malabar nut
alpinia galangal
ferula assafoetida
Hedychium spicatum
inula racemosa
anise
pistacia integerrima gall
punarnava
Fumaria parviflora
prickly ash
fritillaria
lemongrass
Yerba santa
elecampane
coltsfoot
root tuber
silk tree
juniper berries
amber
dodder
sweet flag
hyacinth bean
eucalyptus
Menthol oil
peach
Abies spectabilis
horehound
soursop
Alcohol
Aralia
apple cider vinegar
Agastache
Anamarrhena
alpha-terpineol
ambergris
Ardisia
Angelica
Acacia
Agave
Allicin
anamu
Abrus
Alchornea
Asarum heterotropoides
Albizia
Aconite
asafoetida
Ajuga
andrographolide
Aerva lanata
Agarwood
Asam gelugor
arrowroot
Andrographis
Alstonia scholaris
Allyl sulfide
aspen
Adenophora
Allium tuberosum
Amor seco
Aniseed myrtle
Asarum sieboldii
Alantolactone
atractylone
black seed
bermuda grass
Bryonia
Blepharis
bayleaf
blackbrush
big quaking grass
Bougainvillea
bael
butternut
bindweed
berry
Baccharoides anthelmintica
black salt
bee products
borassus palm
Buddha\'s hand
Borassus aethiopum
borage
banana
Bassia scoparia
burning bush
balloon flower
Belamcanda
Bergenia
Boerhavia diffusa
coconut
cactus
citron
Citrus
cineole
capsaicin
Chenopodium
Cistus
common madia
cubeb
cowslip
Chaenomeles lagenaria
calamus
Coin-leaf desmodium
Cyanthillium cinereum
cinnamaldehyde
costus
Chekiang Fritillary
cola nut
Celosia
Clerodendrum indicum
culvers Root
currant
Chondrus
dragonhead
diterpenes
Desmodium
Dichrostachys glomerata
empresstree
English horsemint
Echinacea
Elder
European field elm
ephedrine
Embelia
fig
fruit
fritillary
fernbush
flavoglycosides
Glehnia littoralis
Guava
Guaco
gum
garlic
Grindelia
Gallesia
garden cress
Glycyrrhetinic acid
Galangal
Glycyrrhizin
Himalayan salt
honey
Hemidesmus
honey loquat syrup
Helicteres isora
Hempnettle
Ilex
long pepper
Ivy
Japanese kadsura
Jatoba
jungli-bean
Javanese Long Pepper
Khella
Kokilaksha
loquat
lime
Lactucarium
Lebbek
Lilium polyphyllum
linden
ligustilides
longan
luffa
Lindera
Leptadenia
Large-leaved linden
lily
Loranthus
lungwort
Ligusticum
Mentha haplocalyx
Mesua
Marjoram
Marsh Tea
Mucilage
Melia
mace
Maidenhair Fern
Meadow sage
Meadowsweet
marigold
Mucolase
Nigella seed
Night jessamine
Nymphaea nouchali
Nutmeg
Ophiopogon
Oroxylum indicum
Osha
Oldenlandia diffusa
Osmanthus
Oryza sativa
Phellodendron
Premna
Piper chaba
polymorpha
Pinellia ternata
Polypodium
Platycodon
Pepper
Paris polyphylla
Pelargonium
Pyrrosia
Piper retrofractum
pointed gourd
Polygonatum
Pimpinella
poppy
Polygala
Petiveria
Plectranthus amboinicus
rose
ravinsara
reed herb
Rhododendron
Sabadilla
Sicklepod
Stephania root
Sete sangrias
Solanaceae
Spikenard
Stemona
Southern Tsangshu
Sinigrin
Shogaol
Semecarpus anacardium
Stachytarpheta cayennensis
Sumac
Sulfated polysaccharide
Sundew
Sargassum
Sedanenolide
Terminalia
Terpenoids
Theobromine
Tea
Thymoquinone
Traveler's Joy
Thymol
Tragacanth
Tamarind
Ulmus
Visnea Mocanera
Vasicine
Vladimiria souliei
Vasicinol
Vasicinone
White Tea
Wax Gourd
Yuzu
Yerba buena
Zucchini
Zedoary
Zingerone