Just in Time for Winter, a New Berry That's Good for Y...( Wide Availability of Original Bla...),Health

Wide Availability of Original Black Elderberry Products, Sambucol(R), Highlights this Little-Known Berry that has Twice the Antioxidants of Both Blueberries and Cranberries

NOTTINGHAM, England, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A little known berry, Sambucus nigra L, otherwise known as black elderberry, that is native to most of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia, is making itself known this year here in the United States in the form of a dietary supplement called Sambucol(R), now being sold in drug chains and health food/vitamin stores throughout the U.S, just in time for winter.

The Sambucol(R) brand -- not to be confused with other products with similar names -- has been sold for the past 15 years in more than 15 countries but with limited availability here in the U.S. However, beginning this month, the Sambucol(R) brand will now have wider distribution throughout the U.S. in major chains, such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens, as well as all Vitamin Shoppes, and many independent health food stores. According to the manufacturer and distributor of Sambucol(R), Healthcare Brands International (HBI), a U.K. company, it's important that consumers know that Sambucol(R) is unique in that it is the only black elderberry extract used in published clinical trials.

Berry Good for Your Health

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), elderberries have twice the antioxidant capacity of blueberries and significantly more than the capacity of cranberries. Throughout history black elderberry has been used to treat colds, flu, fever, burns, cuts and more. Elderberries are unusually rich in antioxidants, which are thought to be necessary to support the immune system.(1)

"Antioxidants are important molecules that reduce the damage that oxygen-based free radicals can cause to cells," says Claire Wheeler, M.D., an instructor at Portland State University's School of Public Health and a former Associate Fellow in the Andr
'/>"/>