The Underrated Juice That Can Lower Blood Sugar, Burn Fat, And Prevent Illness All At Once

For millennia, elderberry juice played a role in homegrown medicinal treatments. As it turns out, there may be merit to the use of the juice as a therapeutic beverage that can help lower blood sugar, make weight management easier, and increase a person's immune system. 

In a 2024 trial (via Nutrients), participants were asked to drink elderberry juice for one week. Afterward, their fecal matter was examined to identify any positive gut microbiome changes. Researchers found that the participants' blood glucose levels had dropped by 24%, potentially because of flavonoids found in elderberry juice called anthocyanins. "This is the first human clinical trial to demonstrate that daily consumption of EBJ [elderberry juice] for one week significantly increases gut microbial communities associated with health benefits for the host," according to Christy Teets, a scientific assistant from Washington State University who worked on the project (per Nutraceutical Business Review).

A 2016 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences cited elderberry extract as assistive for diabetics as well. Specifically, the extract seemed to cause a drop in fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance in subjects. However, the study explored elderberry extract for animal subjects, not human ones.

In the aforementioned 2024 trial, elderberry juice was shown to improve fat oxidation by 27% in addition to reducing blood sugar levels. Drinking elderberry juice for seven days caused participants' systems to more efficiently burn body fat. Though it's unclear exactly what mechanism caused this outcome, this finding helps illustrate the need for more testing on elderberry juice's efficacy as a diabetic- and dieter-friendly food.

Overall, studies on elderberry juice's relationship to both blood sugar reduction and weight management remain somewhat thin. However, there seems to be more evidence related to elderberry juice's reputation for helping fight the side effects of colds and viruses.

For instance, a 2015 study in the Journal of Functional Foods indicated that elderberry could possibly reduce oxidative stress and stimulate the immune system thanks to elderberry's high amounts of antioxidants. Meanwhile, a 2023 study in Molecules came to a similar conclusion, explaining that it was likely the anthocyanins in elderberry that could serve as antioxidants. Per the authors, the anthocyanins might be helpful as antivirals as well as immune system supporters.

A 2020 review in Advances in Integrative Medicine found that ingesting elderberry preparations within two days of acquiring a respiratory virus could cut symptom duration in half. (In other words, if you're going to try elderberry juice, try it at the first sneeze or sniffle.) This aligns with the results of a 2004 clinical trial, in which elderberry syrup consumption was observed to shave off four symptomatic days for individuals with the flu (via the Journal of International Medical Research).

This doesn't necessarily mean that adding elderberry juice (or anything with elderberries) into your diet will ward off the next bug you catch. That said, chugging down some elderberry juice when you're under the weather could reduce how long you struggle with symptoms.

Will you see a difference in your health if you swap your morning beverage for elderberry juice? Maybe — and maybe not. Regardless, investing in elderberry juice could be worth it, especially if one or more of elderberry's reputed health benefits matter to you and you like homeopathic solutions based on traditional medicine.