Spring is finally here, but don’t let your guard down even though we have past the flu season in the UK! I like to top up my family with a variety of vitamins through all the seasons, taken on a daily basis. I am so pleased to be properly introduced to the range of Sambucol Black Elderberry by their PR!
Earlier in February, my sisters asked me to buy them 18 boxes of Sambucol Black Elderberry for them to take back to Singapore as it was so much cheaper in the UK. So I bought them through deals and managed to get three boxes for the price of two! My second sister was first introduced to Sambucol Black Elderberry for kids by their doctor to boost my twin nephews’ immune system. She then introduced it to my eldest sister and now the whole family is taking it!
The range of Sambucol Black Elderberry comes in a variety of liquid, capsule, effervescent and pastille formats with specific formulations for adults and children.
Sambucol Black Elderberry is a natural alternative to the flu vaccine that can help build immunity and limit the duration of cold and flu symptoms if they do appear. It is rich in antioxidants known as anthocyanins, black elderberries are known for their immune health benefits, and over 20 years ago, a leading virologist discovered that these berries also had significant anti-viral properties, and thus developed Sambucol.
Sambucol has a unique formulation and extraction process which preserves and maximises the naturally occurring health benefits of the berry. These black elderberries provide a distinctive mode of action called AntiVirin®, which helps protect healthy cells, inactivate infectious viruses and boost immunity.
Influenza Viruses replicate themselves by entering cell membrane and spreads throughout the body. The Antivirin® mode of action works by coating the viruses and limiting their ability to penetrate and infect healthy cells. As a result, viruses such as flu are unable to replicate. The body’s white blood cells are then able to ingest the infected cells, effectively removing the virus from the body.
Sambucol® Immuno Forte is their best-selling formulation for all the family! Vitamin C and Zinc have been added to the antioxidant-rich original formula for extra protection when you need it most. Just two teaspoons a day for adults (winter – four times a day) and one teaspoon for children (winter – twice daily). It tastes as you might expect, of very concentrated berries, which we really like! It smells great too! There is a sugar-free version of the Immuno Forte for those who are keen to control their sugar level. I don’t find the Immuno Forte sweet at all, in fact, it is very pleasant to drink it neat.
Sambucol® Extra Defence is a great protector through the cold winter months. The Extra Defence contains all the goodness of the Sambucol unique black elderberry extract with extra vitamins and minerals. I would definitely keep one in my cupboard, especially for the long and miserable winter.
The Sambucol Pastilles with the added honey, are good for on the go to chew when needed. Each pastille does not contain a huge amount of elderberry, and so you would need to consume a fair few pastilles to get the same amount of elderberry that is found in the other products. The maximum you can take is eight pastilles. To be honest, you probably wouldn’t want to consume so many in a day! The pastilles are quite hard and very chewy and occasionally it will stick to my back teeth. Again, it is very pleasant to eat it!
Last but not least, the Sambucol® Kids 120ml is a delicious child-friendly formulation containing Black Elderberries and Vitamin C. It is suitable from one year and above and legally safe for children since the ban on Echinacea in children under 12. It comes with a small translucent plastic cup. This formulation is also available in a delicious berry flavoured chewable teddies for children aged four to 12 years.
Sambucol Black Elderberry is also available in capsule and effervescent formats, which we did not try but worth investigating if liquids or pastilles are not your favourite choice! Overall, Sambucol Black Elderberry offers a great selection of elderberry products to suit everybody, it is definitely a must to have at home.
Sambucol is available from Boots, Holland & Barrett, Tesco, Waitrose, Lloyds Pharmacy, Amazon.co.uk, Superdrug, Ocado.com, Chemistdirect.co.uk and independent health stores and other pharmacies. Please visit www.sambucol.co.uk for more information.
Disclosure: We received the samples for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.