Would you like to beat the flu or a cold next time one of them seems to be knocking at your door? If you do I have good news for you. But before, another question: Do you know anyone who never had the flu or even a cold? We would possibly be hard pressed to find such a one. Lose  sleep, eat a lot of sweets at one sitting, or drink a tall milk shake  and thereafter go outside when it's cold, get chilled and you will very likely be a candidate for one of the two. Once you weaken your immune system one way or another and your chances of getting one of these popular illnesses is pretty high. And when they come we just don't know what to do. Or do you?

Standard medical prescription

Viruses are impervious to antibiotics. Over-the-counter remedies just ameliorate the symptoms somewhat. The usual medical profession prescription for these things is: "Drink a lot of fluids and go to bed. If you have fever take of couple of aspirin."  But there is something else you now can do which possible can beat the virus if you catch it at the outset.

Sambucus Nigra

Known in the United States as black elderberry or simply elder, sambucus nigra--its generic name--is a deciduous, shedding the leaves annually, shrub or small tree about 12 to 18 feet tall. It is native to most of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. What earns elderberry its designation as a  "miracle herb" is that scientific research, such as Pietta 2000 and Mateus 2004, have shown that this otherwise ordinary shrub packs nature's most concentrated source of "anthocyanins"--natural substances some plants have which are a very potent antioxidant, and therefore very beneficial to human health; since they boost the immune system and protect the body's cells from harm. The media and current literature have covered extensively the importance of a diet which contains substantial amounts of antioxidants, since they fight 'free radicals," tumors, infections, besides being a possible anti-inflammatory.

But, What does all that have to do with sinus pressure. Two things mainly:

• By helping to prevent a virus infection or cold it is indirectly, in a sense, preventing sinus pressure
• If a viral infection or cold develops these highly antioxidant substances can cut short the illness by several days, as studies have shown

The main cause of sinus pressure is sinus infection; which is often produced by mucus that stagnates. As already explained the prevention of a mucus producing illness can be tantamount, therefore, to preventing a possible bout with sinus pressure. One thing should be well understood: For black elderberry to work preventing viral illnesses it must be used at the very outset of the viral attack.

Conclusion

Elderberry is rapidly gaining acceptance as a very powerful antiviral herb due in part to its high content of anthocyanins, a very powerful antioxidant. Obviously the benefits of this herb go far beyond the prevention and treatment of viral attacks. Thus, besides indirectly being beneficial for sinus pressure, it also gives other benefits which are very important for the preservation of health. For sinus pressure prone individuals as well as for the population at large sambucus nigra can represent the difference between staying well and succumbing to a viral attack.