flus - Dr. Don Colbert, MD Dr. Don Colbert, MD Faith-Based Integrative Medicine, Nutrition and Wellness Fri, 30 Oct 2026 20:20:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://drcolbert.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cropped-3-32x32.png flus - Dr. Don Colbert, MD Dr. Don Colbert, MD 32 32 Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Health Tonic https://drcolbert.com/elderberry-syrup-health-tonic/ Tue, 10 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0000 https://drcolbert.com/?p=10336 Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Health Tonic from Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone kitchen: 8 ingredients, 15 min to 30 min cook time. Physician-designed, made with real food.

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Did you know there is a plant that can help you boost your immune system, possibly prevent, and even fight cold and flu viruses? While it’s been used for hundreds of years by native people groups, many adults have never heard of it. With more and more yearly sickness and more antibiotic resistance, it’s time to become familiar with the elderberry plant, and our Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Tonic.

Elderberry is an effective, natural, anti-virus botanical. We’ve used it and other powerful immune-boosters to create a wonderful, and even delicious, health tonic. It may seem intimidating to make your own health tonic, but rest assured, ours is easy to make and safe to take. Here’s how to make the Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Tonic and why you should.

Keto Zone Recipe

Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Health Tonic

Cook Time15 min–30 min

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup dried black elderberries (Sambucus nigra, they can be found in most health food stores, or online)
  • 3 1/2 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger or 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1/4 cup Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder
  • 1 cup of raw organic honey, maple OR granular erythritol (for Keto Zone)
  • ¼ cup organic raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the dried elderberries and water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Simmer additional 15 minutes, stirring well.
  2. If using erythritol, stir in at the end of simmering time.
  3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  4. Once cool enough to handle, pour the entire mixture through a tighter strainer.
  5. Allow cooling to room temperature.
  6. Stir in honey (if using) and vinegar and mix well.
  7. Store in tightly covered jars in the refrigerator. Store up to 2 months in the refrigerator, or freeze up to 6 months.
  8. For daily consumption, take 1-3 teaspoons.  If experiencing sickness, take 1 tablespoon up to 3 times per day.
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Elderberries Are Potent Disease Fighters

Black elderberries, and specifically Sambucus nigra, are berries that have been used medicinally for hundreds of years.

The dark purple berries have strong antiviral properties, and they contain hemagglutinin protein. This specific protein has been shown to reduce a virus’s ability to replicate and penetrates healthy cells.  It has been well-studied. Supportive research includes:

Antibodies Against Influenza: Researchers also have found that people who have taken elderberries have higher levels of antibodies against the influenza virus, showing that not only may the berry be able to treat flu symptoms, it may also be able to prevent influenza infection.

Protection Against Cold Viruses while Traveling: One study followed travelers and their cold experiences. Some were given elderberry extract, and others were not. Of those who got a cold, the non-elderberry group endured a much longer cold duration with much more intense symptoms. According to the researchers, this “data suggest a significant reduction of cold duration and severity in air travelers” (2).

Potent Influenza and Streptococcus Fighter in Lab Studies: Another study was conducted to determine whether elderberry could fight streptococcus bacteria and influenza viruses in cultures. The researchers found that elderberry liquid extract displayed inhibitory activity against the growth of both bacterias and viruses. In conclusion, they stated that elderberry extract was active against human pathogenic bacteria as well as influenza viruses (3).

Upper Respiratory Protection: A large meta-analysis of 180 participants found that elderberry supplementation substantially reduced upper respiratory symptoms. The researchers felt that elderberry is a good alternative to help reduce overuse of antibiotics and fight viruses (4).

Safety:

Are elderberries safe to consume in prevention and treatment? Overwhelming, experts agree that they are as long as the berries are cooked (NO seeds or bark) or consumed from a standardized commercial preparation. Eating the raw seed can lead to nausea and vomiting, and powders should be avoided as they may contain seeds.

Other Great Ingredients in the Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Health Tonic

Hydrolyzed Type II Collagen boosts immune function and fights viruses. In addition, the type I and type III collagens in Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder can improve cardiovascular, skin, and digestive health.

Ginger and turmeric are also strong disease fighters. In fact, the gingerol in ginger has been shown to help lower infection risk, and it has powerful anti-fungal properties. What’s more, both display anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immune-boosting properties (5, 6).

Apple Cider Vinegar long been known in folk medicine, and now in modern medicine, as an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, disease-fighter. It can also help clear sinuses and reduce infections.

Bottom Line

If you’re hoping to stay as healthy as possible this winter, consider trying our Keto Zone Elderberry Syrup Health Tonic. It’s all-natural and uses some of the best disease-fighting ingredients available. What’s more, it’s also effective against seasonal allergies, so you may want to double your batch for year-round use.

Fight viruses, bacteria, and more this Holiday, Winter, and travel season with elderberries.

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