Best Elderberry Supplements – Top 10 Brands Reviewed for 2020

In order to help you find a good elderberry product, we’ve narrowed down the best elderberry supplements on the market right now.

Top 10 Elderberry Products Compared

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1. Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry

These are powerful elderberry supplements offering 158mg of Black Elderberry berry extract and 642mg Acerola fruit extract, packaged in vegan powder capsules.

Specs

• 3,050mg dry herb equivalent per serving
• 60 capsules per bottle
• Vegan powder capsules
• Gluten-free
• Sugar-free
• Good reviews
• Highly recommended
• Experienced and trusted company

Who Makes It?

Founded in 1986, Gaia Herbs is a Certified Organic Grower (COG). As a result, Gaia Farms has gained a reputation for being one of the leading growers and producers of Certified Organic herbs. Located in North Carolina, this company is among the largest commercial herb farms in the US.

Bottom Line

These are strong elderberry pills from a trusted name in the herbal product market. They have excellent reviews and show great value for your money.

2. Now Foods Elderberry Extract

These are good elderberry supplements at a great price, featuring a 10:1 concentrate with 500mg of elderberry extract per serving. This is a natural supplement with a vegan powder capsule.

Specs

• 500mg per serving
• 1 capsule serving size
• 60 Capsules per bottle
• Good reviews
• Affordable
• Vegan
• Quality product
• Made in the USA
• Experienced and trusted company

Who Makes It?

Family-owned for over 50 years, NOW Foods is one of the largest health product companies in the world. Headquartered in Illinois, NOW produces more than 1,400 unique products, and has a reputation as one of the industry’s most trusted brands.

Bottom Line

This is an affordable elderberry supplement with good reviews from a reputable company.

3. Nature’s Sunshine Elderberry Immune

This is a very convenient, child-friendly Elderberry Supplement in a chewable form with a 145mg Immune Blend that includes Elderberry extract, key vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutrients.

Specs

• 90 soft chews per bottle
• 145mg immune blend per serving
• 60mg Vitamin C per serving
• 1,500 IU Vitamin D per serving
• 5mg Zinc per serving
• Free from common allergens wheat, soy, and milk
• Experienced and trusted company
• Made in the USA

Who Makes It?

Nature’s Sunshine was founded in 1972 and based out of Lehi, Utah. The company offers a large array of wellness products and it has over 45 years of industry experience and expertise.

Bottom Line

Nature’s Sunshine is a trusted, experienced company that has a good reputation in the health and wellness industry. This is an effective elderberry supplement.

4. Amazon Elements Elderberry Complex

This is a simple, berry-flavored lozenge with 100mg of elderberry extract that’s produced in a Good Manufacturing Practices facility in the United States.

Specs

• 100mg of Elderberry
• 60 lozenges per bottle
• 103mg Vitamin C per serving
• 12mg Zinc per serving
• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Star K kosher certified
• Blended and packaged in the USA

Who Makes It?

Manufactured by Arizona Nutritional Supplements (ANS). ANS is located in Chandler, Arizona and has over 20 years of experience in the dietary supplement market. Known for quality standards and evaluations of their products and ingredients from raw materials to finished goods.

Bottom Line

These are some of the best, most thoroughly tested elderberry supplements on the market. This is a simple, cost-efficient product with excellent product reviews.

5. BlueBonnet Elderberry Fruit Extract

These are a very good supplement that uses a clean and gentle-based extraction method to get and preserve the elderberry’s most valuable components. Produced in fast-absorbing veggie capsules for maximum assimilation.

Specs

• 150mg Elderberry Fruit Extract
• 60 capsules per bottle
• Gluten-free
• Soy-free
• Non-GMO
• Vegan

Who Makes It?

Founded in 1991, Bluebonnet Nutrition has been a family-run, independent company since the beginning. Bluebonnet is a certified supplement brand that has a large array of award-winning nutritional products.

Bottom Line

This is a very effective Elderberry supplement produced by a quality company that is trusted in the supplement marketplace.

6. Paradise Herbs Elderberry

This is a high-quality elderberry supplement that contains 250mg of European Elderberry. It’s naturally grown without fertilizers or pesticides.

Specs

• 250mg European Elderberry
• 60 capsules per bottle
• Vegetarian capsules
• Affordable
• No harsh chemicals
• No toxic solvents

Who Makes It?

Established in 1994, Paradise Herbs and Essentials has been family owned and operated with the customer in mind. Paradise manufactures over 100 different supplements.

Bottom Line

This is a powerful Elderberry Supplement from a company that cares about their product. No unnecessary fillers and a powerful dose allow this product to give many elderberry benefits.

7. Solaray Elderberry

This is a good elderberry supplement with 450mg of elderberry extract which includes 350mg from the berry and 100mg from the flower.

Specs

• 100 capsules per container
• 350mg elderberry berry
• 100mg elderberry flower
• Rich in antioxidants

Who Makes It?

Solaray was founded in 1973. Solaray has nearly 1,000 products and is the flagship brand of the Nutraceutical family.

Bottom Line

This product comes from a trusted brand, but it doesn’t have as good of reviews as most Solaray products.

8. GNC Herbal Plus Elderberry Fruit

This is one of the best elderberry supplements. It has 550mg of elderberry in capsule form.

Specs

• 100 capsules per container
• 300mg elderberry fruit extract
• 250mg elderberry fruit powder
• Vegetarian
• No sugar
• Dairy, gluten, soy, wheat, and sodium-free

Who Makes It?

GNC is an American company founded in 1935. Based out of Pittsburgh, PA, GNC sells various health and nutrition-related supplements.

Bottom Line

This may be the best-rated elderberry supplement there is, but that may just be because it is more accessible since it is produced by GNC and found in brick and mortar stores.

9. Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Elderberry Extract

This is a simple elderberry supplement that has 525mg of elderberry extract per tablet. It’s made with concentrates of both the berry and the flower.

Specs

• 1.05g of elderberry blend per serving.
• 90 tablets per container
• 210mg calcium
• 10mg sodium

Who Makes It?

Planetary Herbals is a smaller nutrition company without a significant web presence. It’s a lesser-known brand without the reputation of some of our top recommendations.

Bottom Line

Although the elderberry dosage is high at 525mg, there are better options out there.

10. Eclectic Institute Elder

This is a good elderberry supplement with 475mg of elderberry fruit that is freeze-dried to preserve all the nutrients.

Specs

• 50 capsules per container
• Freeze-dried
• 100% Kosher
• Organic
• Vegan
• GMO-Free
• Gluten-Free
• Made in the USA

Who Makes It?

Founded in 1982 by Dr. Ed Alstat, Eclectic Institute is located on a 90-acre certified organic farm in Oregon.

Bottom Line

If you want powerful, well-preserved elderberry supplements, these are a great option.

Frequently Asked Questions About Elderberry

What Are Elderberry Supplements?

Elderberries are dark purple berries that grow on the Sambucus tree. The most prevalent of these is the Sambucus nigra.

Common names include elder, elderberry, European elder, black elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry.

These should not be mistaken with the American Elder, elderflower, or dwarf elder.

Elderberry supplements are often used to address the symptoms of the common cold but have many other potential uses such as weight management and immune system support.

Today the elderberry is cultivated for its decorative flowers and leaves, but science is beginning to catch up with natural medicine and realize the potential benefits of the elderberry.

Elderberry use is traced back to Ancient Egypt, where there are documented recipes using this superfood.

Generally, Historians trace the use of the elderberry back to Hippocrates, who described the elderberry as his “medicine chest” because it addressed so many ailments.

Today, elderberry is known by herbalists and nutritionists as a viable home remedy for certain ailments.

What Are the Benefits of Elderberry?

Elderberry supplements have a lot of potential uses, some of which are more proven than others.

Limited clinical trials have been conducted, but elderberry extract may help fight the flu and they appear to have antioxidant possibilities.

Some potential elderberry supplement uses are:

• Cold & Flu: In one study, elderberry has shown to have a beneficial effect on the immune system and may help prevent viral infections (1). A second study was taken consisting of a randomized, double-blind trial where over 300 plane passengers were given either a placebo or an elderberry extract (2). More colds occurred in the placebo group. Furthermore, the cold duration and severity were reduced for the passengers who were given the elderberry extract over the placebo. Another study shows elderberry extract is effective against Avian bird flu. More research is required (3).
• Nutritional value: In addition to having all the benefits of the elderberry, many elderberry supplements also have a large dose of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc.
• Inflammation: A 2013 study performed by German researchers shows that elderberry supplements have the ability to reduce inflammation due to the anthocyanins, which give the elderberries their dark violet color (4).
• Weight Management: Elderberry supplements may help in weight management efforts when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Further tests are needed to see the nutritional value from a weight loss perspective, but if nothing else the reduced inflammation could help with weight loss. A study showed that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which can be addressed with antioxidants like elderberry (5). More research is needed.
• Immune Support: One study showed that elderberry boosts the production of immune cytokines (6). Cytokines help regulate the immune response. More research needs to be done to determine the negative and positive effects of elderberry, for both short and long-term use.

Elderberry supplements have various other claimed benefits, but they do not have adequate clinical evidence supporting them.

All in all, elderberry supplements need a lot more research in order to completely assess their potential benefits.

How Do I Take Elderberry?

Elderberry supplements come in syrup, lozenge, chewable, and pill/capsule form. They should be taken following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Trials are lacking for elderberry supplementation, but there was a clinical study done where the adult patients were given 15 ml of elderberry syrup four times a day for five days.

The patients who were given elderberry extract vs the placebo recovered 4 days faster on average (7).

Most of the supplements in capsule or tablet form seem to have at least 500mg elderberry extract.

Are There Any Side Effects of Elderberry?

Raw elderberries may be harmful if ingested, so it is best to cook and dry them. Side effects of uncooked berries may consist of vomiting or nausea.

Luckily, there are fewer issues to be concerned with when it comes to elderberry supplementation.

Some of the side effects with elderberry supplements are possible allergies since the elderberry is a part of the honeysuckle family, which is a somewhat common allergy.

If you have allergies, use care and consult a doctor before adding elderberry supplements to your routine.

Another thing you may want to keep in mind is that there could be mild interactions with other supplements, herbs, and drugs, so be sure to ask your physician before using it.

How Do I Pick a Good Elderberry Product?

When searching for a good elderberry supplement you will want to purchase from a trusted and established a name in the health and wellness community.

We have picked some supplements that are produced by companies with good reputations for you to choose from.

Besides the brand, the dosage amount, purchase price, serving size, and any other ingredients should be considered.

A good elderberry supplement has quality, natural ingredients. Some of the top elderberry supplements also have vitamins, zinc, and are allergen-free.

It is not necessary to combine elderberry supplements with syrups or juices, but it may be beneficial.

Ultimately, all other certifications need to be considered, such as gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, etc.