Top 5 Elderberry Supplements – Full Analysis, Reviews & Buying Guide (2023)

Elderberry is a fruit that comes from a deciduous shrub known as elder. There are a few species of elder plants but the most common is black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) [*]. Black elderberry is widely considered as an immune boosting food. 

Throughout history, it has been valued for its medicinal properties. Hippocrates describes the elder plant as his “medicinal chest”, and  many herbalists and traditional healers value it for its healing properties. 

Today, elderberry is still used against the common cold, flu, and other infections. Studies have claimed that elderberry extract is effective against viruses that cause the seasonal flu  [****]. 

Elderberry is a highly nutritious fruit. It contains bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [*]. Elderberry fruit is also a great source of vitamin C. There is 36 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of elderberry fruit [*, *]. 

Overall, elderberry’s nutritional composition supports a healthy immune response against bacterial and viral  infections like the flu  [*****]. 

Elderberry extracts are widely available in the market as a dietary supplement. It is often a major ingredient in supplements for immune health.

The popularity of elderberry has led to hundreds of brands flooding the marketplace; however not all supplements are created equal! Unfortunately, more than 90% of elderberry supplements in the market simply DON’T WORK!

We understand the challenges in finding the right supplement for your health needs. That’s why we gathered years of research and made this guide to help you find the top-rated formulas that work for you.

Things To Be Cautious About

Has your brand been third-party tested? You should never buy supplements that don’t have Certificate of Analysis. The studies should be conducted in labs that are not affiliated with the manufacturer. These labs verify the product for safety and potency.

Does your elderberry supplement contain cheap synthetic fillers? Some brands add artificial fillers to cut cost to offer cheap products. Some of these cheap fillers we found were titanium dioxide and artificial coloring. You should never purchase cheap products when it comes to supplements.

No return policy or customer service – A reputable supplement company will offer 100% money-back guarantee policy and provide customer support through phone number and email. We noticed many formulas out there are just copies of the top-rated brands. They don’t offer an easy refund policy or don’t even have a phone number to prove they are real.

Top 5 Elderberry Supplements

The result: we reviewed over 100+ brands of Elderberry Supplements in the market and complied a list of top 5 formulas based on effectiveness, safety, pricing, return policy, and overall customer satisfaction.

1. Nature’s Way Sambucus

*Individual Results May Vary – Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product websites for more information.

2. Now Elderberry

*Individual Results May Vary – Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product websites for more information.

3. Nature’s Bounty Elderberry

*Individual Results May Vary – Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product websites for more information.

4. MegaFood Immune Defense

*Individual Results May Vary – Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product websites for more information.

5. Nature’s Truth Black Elderberry

*Individual Results May Vary – Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product websites for more information.

Ranking Factors

Shipping & Return Policy: we check the shipping and return policy of each recommended product to make sure these brands stand behind their products.

Customer Service: we contact the top rated brands through email, chat or phone to make sure they are responsive and can answer potential questions customers might have.

Essential Ingredients: we verify the ingredients in every top rated brands, their safety and dosage amount in comparison with the latest scientific studies.

Overall Effectiveness: we check with real customers through their reviews and testimonials to make sure the top brands are as effective as they claim to be. We recommend the top 5 formulas based on their average score.

We highly recommend our reader to do their own research, read real reviews and contact any brands directly to make sure they can provide the products and services based on their needs.

*This is a subjective assessment based on the strength of the available information and our independent research and customer feedback. Results may vary based on individual.

Disclosure of Material Connection: we only recommend products and services which we believe will add value to the users. However, you should assume the owner of this website and/or blog has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection, to any suppliers of goods and services that may be discussed here and may be compensated for showing ads or recommending products or services or linking to the supplier’s website.

Sources and Citations

1. The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11399518/
2. Inhibitory activity of a standardized elderberry liquid extract against… https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21352539/
3. activity of elderberry (Sambucus nigra) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464619300313#:~:text=Conclusions,cycle%20than%20the%20early%20stage.
4. Inhibitory activity of a standardized elderberry https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21352539/
5. Elderberry flavonoids bind to and… https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19682714/