Elderberry stimulates immune function (cytokine production)
Elderberry may lower blood sugar
Elderberry has mild diuretic properties; additive effect
May affect theophylline metabolism
Widely circulated online claims suggest elderberry triggers dangerous "cytokine storms." Our research found: (1) elderberry increases cytokine production in healthy cells in vitro, (2) no human case reports of cytokine storm from elderberry exist, (3) the concern is extrapolated from in vitro data and not supported by clinical evidence. Standard caution for immunocompromised patients applies, as with any immunostimulant.
Not Prohibited
Reference identifiers on this page are being re-verified against PubMed. Some may not yet link to the paper named beside them.
, Hawkins J et al. Black elderberry supplementation and respiratory illness: a meta-analysis.
, Zakay-Rones Z et al. Randomized study of elderberry extract in influenza treatment.
, Porter RS, Bode RF. A review of the antiviral properties of black elder.
Independently graded against 178,763 indexed supplements and 757 reviewed supplement and medication pairs, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, and NIH DSLD | Last updated: April 2026
Not medical advice. Based on published clinical research and systematic reviews.