Elderberry and flu
What 2 graded rows on elderberry agree on for flu, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Elderberry page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Elderberry page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Elderberry and flu
2 rows · 147 peopleSplit. 1 row found an improvement and 1 found no difference.
- CGrade C× 1
- DGrade D× 1
- Rows
- 2
- Trials
- 2
- People
- 147
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a randomized trial of 87 people (2020) and found no difference.
Only the row that found no difference names older adults in its population.
The row that found no difference is newer (2020) than the row that found an improvement (2004).
The best grade is C among the row that found no difference, and D among the row that found an improvement.
The rows
1 improved · 1 no difference- DGrade DInfluenza symptom duration · Improved
RCT · n 60 · 2004 · Adults 18–54 with influenza-like symptoms for 48 h or less (Norway, 1999–2000 season)
15 mL four times a day · 5 days
Symptoms were relieved on average 4 days earlier, and rescue medication use was lower, than with placebo syrup.
- CGrade CInfluenza duration and severity (lab-confirmed flu) · No difference
RCT · n 87 · 2020 · Emergency-room patients aged 5 and older with PCR-confirmed influenza and symptoms under 48 h (US)
15 mL (5.7 g extract) four times a day over age 12; twice a day ages 5–12 · 5 days
Days until symptoms were mild or gone did not differ (5.3 vs 4.9 days, p=0.57), nor did days to full resolution (8.6 vs 8.7, p=0.87). A post hoc analysis found elderberry alone did about 2 days worse than placebo alone.