Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to a recent Washington State University-led study.

A clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation.

Elderberry, a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe, is commonly used as a medicinal plant and supplement to promote immune function. Its other potential health benefits are poorly understood, however.

Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally. We’re now starting to recognize its value for human health, and the results are very exciting.”

Patrick Solverson, corresponding author, assistant professor, WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology

The researchers tested the effects of elderberry on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 18 overweight adults. Participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with similar coloring and taste, specially designed by North Carolina State University’s Food Innovation Lab, while maintaining a standardized diet.

Clinical testing following the intervention showed that participants who consumed elderberry juice had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including firmicutes and actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as bacteroidetes. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for nutrient absorption and supports physical and mental health.

In addition to positive microbiota changes, the elderberry intervention resulted in improved metabolism. Results showed that the elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption. Results also showed a 9% decrease in insulin levels.

Additionally, results suggested that elderberry juice can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Participants who received the elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high carbohydrate meal and during exercise.

The researchers attribute these positive effects to elderberry’s high concentration of anthocyanins, plant-based bioactive compounds that have a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial effects.

“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” Solverson said. “This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”

Other berries contain anthocyanins, but typically in lower concentrations. A person would have to consume four cups of blackberries a day to achieve the same anthocyanin dose contained in 6 ounces of elderberry juice, Solverson said.

Although elderberry products are less popular in the U.S. than in Europe, demand exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and elderberry continues to be a growing market.

The researchers have filed for a provisional patent for using the bioactive components of American black elderberry for weight management and gut health through supplements or other applications. The WSU Office of Commercialization is assisting with commercialization opportunities with more information available at [email protected].

This research was supported by a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under award number 2020-67018-30851. The research team included collaborators at Colorado State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Vermont.

With an additional $600,000 in NIFA funding, the researchers plan to explore other applications of elderberry juice, including whether it can help individuals who have discontinued weight loss medications maintain their weight. They note that further studies are needed to both confirm their initial findings and to determine the long-term effects of elderberry in various populations.