Is Elderberry Toxic?

Are elderberries toxic? The answer is complicated, but basically the answer is NO!

Quite a few people have contacted me recently about the safety of potentially toxic elderberry. I didn’t realize we had reached such an epic level of worry about this simple shrub. But about the third time I was answering questions from a customer who wanted to make their own syrup at home, I started seeing the controversy popping up in my facebook feed.

...Of course, that could just mean that I said the word elderberry somewhere near my computer and Facebook started to serve up articles… but that’s paranoia for another day.

The Toxic Elderberry Tale

Are elderberries toxic? The answer is complicated, but basically the answer is NO!

When arguing (yes, I actually got into a facebook debate…. Sometimes I can’t help myself!) on one particular plant group, I was served up with the typical proof… the CDC documented poisoning of a group in California in 1983. Here it is:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000311.htm

That coupled with hundreds of sites that warn you that you should NEVER consume raw elderberries… or just never consume toxic elderberry altogether, seems to be too much evidence to ignore. Repeat after me… just because it’s repeated a lot doesn’t make it true. Let’s dig into the facts, shall we?

Approach with Respect, Not Fear

I DO NOT believe in calling a plant “poisonous” unless it truly warrants the name. The term should be reserved for things that create harm or death. In the case of elderberry, the term doesn’t fit. To perpetuate the toxic elderberry narrative is a complete misunderstanding of how the chemicals in the plant work, and how they apply to our body. Unfortunately, the fastest way to separate us from using simple, free solutions for general health and well-being is to make us afraid of our environment… and perpetuate only half the truth.

I’ll take each argument one at a time-

1. Elderberries contain a precursor to cyanide.

This is partially true. BUT we have to understand which species of elderberry is being discussed and we need to address which parts of the shrub someone would like to ingest.

Sambucus nigra and its subspecies canadensis are the two most commonly encountered elderberries. They have compound leaves with 5-8 leaflets and small, simple black berries arranged in umbels. Not all elderberry species are equal… some are more edible than others. Across the board elderberries are known to contain the cyanogenic glycoside called Prunasin. Cyanogenic glycosides are known to react within our digestive systems to create HCN or hydrogen cyanide.

Bear with me here, as I try to get this across without making you go cross-eyed. There are some chemists that believe that the HCN that is produced in the human digestive system as a result of the breakdown of cyanogenic glycosides is inert… meaning that it does not have activity or carry any potential for toxicity.

Apples, plums, flax oh my!

All of this is still under study… because these compounds are found in over 2500 species of edible plants including flax seeds, apples, plums and apricots.

In studying the elderberry, the potential amount of HCN producing compounds are actually less in most cases than your favorite grocery store staple fruits…

Not only are we in the dark about whether or not we can truly be harmed by the chemicals in our fruit, but the concentrations of the chemicals vary by where the plants are growing as was demonstrated by one study that found some groups of S. nigra to contain no cyanogenic glycosides at all.

2. Back to that poisoning in California….

Many chemists agree that prunasin is present in the elderberry, but only in the leaves. This is most likely where the highest concentration of the chemicals are found, but I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility to expect to find them in lower concentrations in the stems and seeds as well. Across most of the rosaceae family, for instance, you will find cyanogenic glycosides in the seeds. Further, I find some evidence to suggest that these chemicals are particularly volatile and degrade quickly after picking.

It is important to note that the CDC incident involved not just fresh juice. The super-smart group in question also added the stems and leaves to their drink. Most of the group had mild stomach discomfort, while the one person that was hospitalized consumed 5 GLASSES!!!

There simply aren’t any other good reports of toxicity related to this plant that I can find.

The Bottom Line

Undoubtedly, the elder family tends to protect itself from animal grazers with a chemical that causes digestive unrest if over consumed. The idea being that an animal that starts to make a nuisance of itself either gets sick and leaves, or in a severe case becomes dizzy, confused and wanders away forgetfully.

Are elderberries toxic? No!

Are you more likely to cook, dry or ferment them? Probably. This is just the nature of how we consume elderberries. They don’t taste particularly wonderful, so they’re not very tempting in a big bowl with whipped cream.

Is it imperative that you cook the berries first? NO! In fact, many traditional uses of elderberry call for the fresh berries. Cyanogenic glycosides are being studied for their potential to cause harm, but they have also been hailed for bringing health. In fact, it is believed that the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) therapy for cancer involving bitter almond is most likely taking advantage of the tumor reducing nature of this controversial chemical. Further, in small amounts, the raw berries can be a very effective anti-tussive… an effect you would not necessarily experience if you heated them.

The chemicals in elderberry are self-limiting. You will throw up, removing the problem, long before you reach a toxic level. Now… if you want to start injecting elderberry and bypass this natural protection you might get into trouble… and we have to have an entirely different conversation.

Not everyone will react to this plant-protective chemical the same way. As always, know your body… do your own research… decide what is right for you.

My Advice:

• Do cook your elderberries in most instances.

• Don’t use raw elderberries if they make you feel sick, and even if it doesn’t use them sparingly.

• Don’t be afraid that elderberry is toxic!

• Do use only ripe berries in your pies, syrups, jellies, juices and more.

• If elderberry pie gives you a bellyache, don’t eat it.

• Don’t add leaves or stems into your berry-based or flower-based food/supplements. Traditionally those things were mostly used topically.

• Do enjoy elder flowers in your liquor, fritters, tea and syrups.

• The next time someone warns you about Toxic Elderberry, tell them you know the score!

What do you think... Let's chat! Toxic or not? Worth it or Leave it? Do you use elderberry for you and/or your family?

Further Reading:

1. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-sambucus-nigra-l-fructus_en.pdf

2. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/s/sambunigrin.html

3. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1386&context=honors

4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305197899001052

5. http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je18.htm