My main problem with elderberry is that I can’t reconcile the recommendations about dosage, even from one single source. Looking at the two main published studies and the labels on commercially available products, I can’t make sense of the dosage units and procedure. Chris Masterjohn recommends something like 1000 mg of elderberry extract daily, split in two doses. However, the studies cited to support this dosage make use of Sambucol, which advertises 38% concentration (or 1.83g per 5 ml dose). So, how many millilitres daily would be required? The dosage recommended on the product’s label is the exact same as the dosage used in the studies: 15ml of Sambucol syrup four times per day. But this amounts to 3*4*1.83g/day or 22g. That’s 22 times the dosage (1000mg daily) recommended by Masterjohn. (It’s also 22 times costlier!). What gives?
My main problem with elderberry is that I can’t reconcile the recommendations about dosage, even from one single source. Looking at the two main published studies and the labels on commercially available products, I can’t make sense of the dosage units and procedure. Chris Masterjohn recommends something like 1000 mg of elderberry extract daily, split in two doses. However, the studies cited to support this dosage make use of Sambucol, which advertises 38% concentration (or 1.83g per 5 ml dose). So, how many millilitres daily would be required? The dosage recommended on the product’s label is the exact same as the dosage used in the studies: 15ml of Sambucol syrup four times per day. But this amounts to 3*4*1.83g/day or 22g. That’s 22 times the dosage (1000mg daily) recommended by Masterjohn. (It’s also 22 times costlier!). What gives?