Elderberry has a fantastic history of helping to prevent and lessen episodes of the flu. Besides its powerful ability to prevent cardiovascular disease, which until recently has been the leading cause of death for Americans, it also is a potent booster or immune function. Both of these activities were critical in its selection to be one of the few ingredients in Liquid Life.

From the cardiovascular perspective the anthocyanins (berry pigments) in elderberry are able to be incorporated INTO the cells lining all of your blood vessels. This incorporation into the cells lining your vessels gives them incredible protecting from the oxidative damage that causes 'hardening of the arteries'. In addition Elderberries extracts have also exhibited the ability to inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Once LDL cholesterol is oxidized, it is able to cause damage to the blood vessels that leads to heart disease. This is a huge benefit in the PREVENTION of atherosclerosis and heart disease as elderberry blocks both of these mechanisms for tissue damage that are thought to be the primary cause of heart disease.

But, the immune enhancement ability is equally amazing - Elderberry extracts have demonstrated the ability to significantly increase the response of the white blood cells to an invading organism. This is accomplished through increase production of chemical messengers, called cytokines, that literally "turn on" the entire immune response. This activity is beneficial for helping the immune system to fight against any invading viruses or bacteria. Which should effectively shorten the infection and reduce the severity of it as well as was found in two studies that measured the effect of elderberry extract on persons who contracted the flu. In both studies those who took elderberry extract recovered their health in less than half the time the placebo group did, showing that the extract boosted the ability of the body to fight this viral infection.

But, when it comes to viruses elderberry has more weapons in its arsenal. It can actually effect the viruses themselves, rendering them less powerful. When it comes to herpes viruses, a constant problem for many people, elderberry extracts have been able to completely block the replication of Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1). This is very impressive, and could be quite helpful for many, many people. In the laboratory it has also exhibited the ability to reduce the infectivity of HIV. I am not aware of any other natural product that has shown this power in the lab or in humans! Another recent study in the laboratory also showed that elderberry extracts were able to prevent the dreaded H1N1 swine flu virus from being able to infect cells. The power of elderberry to do this compared well with the power of the drug Tamiflu to prevent the infection!

Dr. Walter Crinnion
Chairman
Scientific Advisory Board

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We hear so much about the swine flu and swine flu vaccine that we are all convinced that we need to all line up for the vaccination or risk getting the flu. I just want to give you a slightly different perspective on the swine flu and it's vaccine because I am much more concerned about the vaccine than the swine flu itself. Officially we are talking about the H1N1 strain of swine flu and it is a NEW strain of the flu. It can cause upper respiratory distress (coughing, shortness of breath, mucous), body aches, headaches, nausea, vomiting, fever etc. Just like normal flus. Because it is a new strain of flu our immune systems have not seen it before therefore have not yet developed immunity. Hence the development of the swine flu vaccine and the World Health Organization and our government pushing the flu vaccine to help keep our country safe from the swine flu.

Here is some information on the swine flu:

• H1N1 swine flu is leading to similar to or LOWER than seasonal flu hospitalizations.
• This year there have been more flu incidents in the later spring and summer than usual
• At the end of July the CDC has stopped requiring individual case reporting, presumably after finding out that there the swine flu is not causing more deaths or more hospitalizations than normal flus.

This brings me to the concern for the swine flu vaccine that is due to come out next month and whether or not everyone should be immunized. First of all, if you had the swine flu, you are likely immune, so don't get the vaccine. The last swine flu vaccine caused MORE deaths in 1976 than the swine flu did. The last swine flu vaccine was linked to an epidemic of Gulliain-barre syndrome a potentially deadly paralysis. This vaccine was rushed and is UNtested so we don't have enough safety data on it or any long term data on the vaccine. It is recommended to get both the yearly flu vaccine AND the swine flu vaccine which both have thimerisol in it (a mercury containing preservative). Many young children can develop neurological problems or have developmental delay or autism like symptoms after such mercury exposure so please be careful. The vaccine has NOT been tested on pregnant women so if you are pregnant, please learn what you can about the vaccine before you get it. There was a confidential letter written in the UK to 600 neurologists to look out for a possible resurgence of any neurological or brain disorders like Gulliain-byrre syndrome. In 1976, the vaccine was withdrawn after 10 weeks of use because it was clear that the vaccine increased your risk of GBS by 8 times.

I am not recommending you avoid the vaccine or the flu vaccine. All I want to present is more information on vaccine safety and whether or not you should be very concerned about the swine flu. This new flu is likely just another strain of flu and many people are getting it because we don't have natural immunity yet. Be careful of untested or rushed vaccine recommendations. Please watch the videos (in the health hints section) I have recorded on improving your immune system and how to support your body to help recover from a cold/flu quickly.

Dr. Suzann Wang
Chief Science Officer
Mitogenx