Have you ever considered adding syrups to your diet to boost your immunity? If not, allow us to introduce you to one of our favorites: elderberry syrup.
Our elderberry syrup ingredients
For over 2000 years, people from various cultures have used elderberries as a base to make a syrup for internal use. They used this syrup for all sorts of coughs, flu, and colds, because of its pleasant taste and high antioxidant content. Let's look at the ingredients that give this syrup its potency.
When used internally, ginger has incredible healing properties, both in fresh and dry states. In the past, people used dry ginger for stomach aches and fresh ginger for respiratory issues.
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners traditionally used Cinnamon for warming the body by boosting blood circulation.
Herbalists use mullein internally for all aspects of lung health. This plant is excellent for combating coughs (especially hard and dry ones) because it helps to loosen and expel phlegm and soften internal mucous.
Yarrow is another herb that's a favorite among healers, and they've used it for centuries. It has numerous benefits for the body, but we're using it internally in this syrup because of its balanced nature. It's gentle enough to act as a tonic and simultaneously strong enough to boost blood flow, kill off harmful bacterias, and increase secretions in the digestive system.
Nettle contains lots of vitamins and minerals like iron, silica, calcium, and vitamins C, K, B, and E. Herbalists prescribe it for internal uses since it 'builds blood' meaning that carries the nutrients needed for the production of blood.
Raw honey is a natural throat soother, excellent for relieving dry coughs.
NOTE: Avoid giving honey to children younger than one year.
An immune-boosting elderberry syrup recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dried nettles
- 1 cup dried elderberries
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp mullein
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2.5 tbsp yarrow
- 4 cups of water
- ⅓ cup raw honey (or your preferred amount to taste)
Method:
- Put all the ingredients except honey into a crockpot and cover it. Turn the stove to high, and let it sit for a few hours.
- Set the heat to low and let sit overnight.
- Strain the syrup.
- Add honey to taste, while the syrup is still warm.
- Pour into airtight glass containers.
- Take at least one tablespoon a day and enjoy better health!
With love,
The Sole Toscana Beauty Team
