Elderberry syrup or gummies are one of those things that seem a little, you know, woo-y. It’s up there with charging your crystals in the moonlight or using essential oils to cure your ills, at least culturally.
However, I feel in some ways elderberry gummies have become about as mainstream as those crunchy beliefs can be. You can buy elderberry gummies for kids at Target now, of course. The formerly super hippie thing my mom did is now available OTC, which is a pretty big deal, honestly.
Hilma recently sent me their new Elderberry Immune Support Gummies. I’m a huge fan of Hilma and have written a review about them before, but I was especially excited to try these new elderberry gummies.
I have taken elderberry syrup every day for years. I usually make it myself from elderberries I buy online—however, elderberries can be hard to source and I’ve had to change where I order from a few times. As well, the physical elderberry is fairly poisonous—you can only consume the syrup, not the berry itself. So making my own syrup in my kitchen sometimes felt, well, a little more dangerous than it needed to.
Switching to gummies felt like a better idea, but a lot of gummies have additives in them that I’m not a huge fan of—like gelatin or high fructose corn syrup.
That’s what I like about the new Hilma Elderberry Immune Support Gummies—they are vegan, meaning they don’t contain any gelatin. They also don’t contain high fructose corn syrup or corn starch, if those are concerns of yours. They also have zinc and vitamin C, so you get a few extra doses of those good, immune-boosting vitamins and minerals.
But enough about my favorite gummy vitamins—what are the benefits of taking elderberry? Is it something to include in your routine?
The 3 Reasons I Take Elderberry
1. The immune system boost.
It goes without saying: taking something to help your immune system is a great way to feel better. I get sick a lot and really easily. In March 2017, I had the flu for 6 weeks and that was really the breaking point for me: I was super run down and my body clearly needed a leg up. That’s when I started consistently taking elderberry. While I still get sick occasionally, I have found that I don’t get sick as intensely as I used to. This might be a placebo effect, but also… what do you have to lose?
2. A daily routine that makes me feel good.
Plain and simple, taking my elderberry every day helps me feel like I’m doing something good for my body. I might have bad days; I might have days where I don’t eat a single vegetable; but if I took my elderberry gummies, I feel pretty dang good about myself. That and my daily vitamins. If you want to make prioritizing your health part of your daily routine, something as easy as taking elderberry gummies is one really low-risk way to get started.
3. Reducing inflammation.
Ok, this one is a little bit of a departure, but hear me out. In 2008 (I know, a century ago), I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, a bladder disorder where my bladder responds to inflammation by thinking it has a UTI (but it doesn’t—it’s just that my intestinal tract is slightly inflamed, or at least that’s the best guess). I try to eat a relatively low-acid diet—that means limiting things like citrus and tomatoes. However, foods with antioxidants, like blueberries and elderberry, have been found to help reduce inflammation. I have found that taking elderberry in some form every day has been much more helpful in reducing flares than following a low acid diet or taking IC-related medications. That’s just me personally—your mileage may vary, as they say.
Yes, that’s Remus begging for my elderberry gummy. I couldn’t get him to leave me alone.
Would you like to try Hilma’s Elderberry Immune Support Gummies? You can order them here and use my code MICHELLE20 for 20% off your first order.
