Sambucol Black Elderberry Original 30 Lozenges

Sort of tastes like overly fermented berries, the 3.8g content of the actual berry extract is low compared to other products out there.

I'm not a holistic type, but I'm also not a fan of flu vaccines. I've been taking Sambucol (1 spoonful in the morning) in the late autumn/winter for several years, and have not suffered flu in that time. I have had one cold, so I'm not sure that it raises ALL anti-virus protection, but then again, I was working in a petri-dish of a crowded office with lots of parents and people travelling overseas at the time, so there may just be limits.

Sambucol is thick, with just a hint of a berry taste, not much flavor at all. A bottle doesn't last very long, so you'll probably want to buy two or three at a time. (Yes, vaccines would be cheaper over a season.) Don't let it drip on anything; the deep blue/purple color is hard to wash up. But I believe it helps reduce illness.

I don't know why so few people know about Sambucol. I had never heard of it until this year, when a friend told me to try it. I had been getting colds over and over again. "My kids and I all take it and we almost never get sick. It's elderberry syrup."

I thought, "Isn't that something from the Smurfs?"

I went to my local pharmacy and they looked at me like I had six heads. Elderberry syrup? I told them the name Sambucol, and they still just shook their heads and stared at me. I decided my friend was nuts.

Then I looked it up online and found this little group of people singing its praises. My mom found some for me at a chain drugstore, and I tried it while I still had a bad cold. It didn't help. (That's why I took away a star.) The cold dragged on for nearly 2 weeks no matter what I tried.

But I liked the taste of the Sambucol-- thick, a bit like blueberries but not as sweet. And I liked that it was supposed to be good for me, and easy to take, so I figured, "Why not?" I kept taking it, and bought the kids' version for my daughter, too (nowhere near as tasty, by the way... too sweet and much thinner).

Anyway, my daughter and I have not been sick again since then. I don't know if that's the result of the Sambucol or not, and it hasn't been long enough for me to make any definite pronouncements, but I was definitely on a bad streak before I began taking it. What I know now is that I like it, it makes me feel like I'm doing something good for my body, and I can't figure out any reason not to take it... so I'll keep doing it.

Too bad these chews don't have a better taste!! I think they're effective and useful for their intended purpose. Maybe it's "mind over matter!" But I'm convinced that they helped me...isn't that what's really important!!

Great product....my wife and I use it when we start getting a sniffle or sore throat and we recover in a few days instead of 2 weeks.