Have you tried elderberry syrup?
Despite their admiration throughout history, it was not too long ago that elderberries were just making their big debut onto the shelves of health food stores.
Considered one of the richest forms of antioxidants, more than pomegranates, acai and blueberries— elderberries have been a part of Eastern European medicine for centuries.
While elderberry tinctures, syrups and gummies have now become popular, all elderberry supplements are not created equally. In order to get the most bang for your buck, you want to know what you are buying.
I met Cassie Green, now the Elderberry Queen, back in 2014, when her and her husband ran the most awesome and health forward market on Greenville in Dallas— The Green Grocer. I regularly swooped in for their organic pressed juices in between clients.
I moved away to California and a few years later, I got wind that Cassie and her husband Gary had closed their market and were now the proud owners of a little elderberry syrup company.
Admittedly, I am a total skeptic when it comes to health elixirs and despite my curiosity and admiration for Cassie, I was not super stoked to add any elderberry into my health routine.
But then one day Cassie sent me a bottle and I tried it…
My specialty is in digestion, so the very first thing I noticed was that when consumed on an empty stomach, it had some digestive enhancing properties. Seriously, a full shot glass of CGH elderberry syrup really got things moving. As I integrated it into my daily routine, taking 2-3 tsp each morning (because I loved the taste— the proper dose is 1 tsp), I gradually noticed that changes in the weather, which normally would cause some sniffles and sneezing, were less apparent. In fact, so much less apparent that I didn’t give it much thought until I would run out of Cassie’s elderberry syrup and I would again become less tolerant to seasonal changes.
I became obsessed with CGH Elderberry syrup and started to post about it on social media. At some point, I started getting messages from friends, clients and random followers asking if I approved of other brands, and/or if they had the same digestive enhancing properties. They’d send me a photo of the ingredients and my overwhelming response was always… “Eh. It’s not the same.”
Cassie Green’s elderberry, specifically, was an excellent digestive aid because the elderberry itself was not clouded, or diluted by additives, unnecessary sugars, or glycerins. Even some of my favorite supplement brands contained “stuff” in it I did not want to consume.
Here’s where Cassie Green’s Elderberry Syrup is different than all the rest...
- The ingredients are stellar: Organic elderberries, organic ginger, organic Ceylon cinnamon, organic, lemon juice and local raw honey. AKA: Super clean. Straightforward. Tasty.
CGH contains no preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers added, like GLYCERIN. Glycerin is what gives “syrups” their syrupiness. It’s also commonly sourced from soy and has no nutritional properties. I would also argue that it is inflammatory.
- They source their berries from an organic co-op in Bulgaria.
- The type of berries that are sourced are called: Sambucus Nigra which has the most research backing it as preventive for cold/flu and also the most antioxidants versus elderberries grown in this region.
The recommended dosage for general immune support is 1 tsp per day and 1/2 tsp per day so one bottle will last you a decent amount of time, unless you are like me… I personally recommend taking a full shot glass daily for digestive “detox” support on an empty stomach, pre coffee.
You can find Cassie Green Elderberry locally, in Central Market, Whole Foods, Sundrops, The Gem and The Juice Bar— just to name a few, or online— they are even on amazon!
Check out my elderberry dressing here.
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