If you’re into natural remedies or traditional medicine, you’ve probably heard of — or even tried — elderberry.

It’s long been a go-to immune booster during cold and flu season, but its benefits may go beyond fighting sniffles. Like other berries, elderberries are loaded with antioxidants, and new research suggests it could also support weight loss by targeting one of obesity’s root causes: inflammation.

Let’s unpack how it works.

Elderberry is the deep bluish-black to purple fruit of the European or black elder tree. The berries grow in small, dark clusters and are typically cooked and turned into juice, jams, syrups, or even wine. 

For centuries, people have used elderberry in folk medicine to help the body fight off colds, flu, and other upper respiratory infections. A cup of elderberries contains about 52 mg of vitamin C and 10 g of fiber, but their real power comes from their polyphenols,  plant compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. One type in particular, called anthocyanins, gives elderberries their rich color and potent effects.

Anthocyanins help the body combat oxidative stress, a buildup of unstable molecules called free radicals that damage cells and tissues and trigger inflammation. And while many berries contain anthocyanins, elderberries pack far more per serving. For example, you’d need to eat four cups of blackberries to get the same amount of anthocyanins found in just 6 ounces of elderberry juice.

Some free radicals are normal — they’re a byproduct of energy metabolism and part of your immune system’s defense against infections and environmental toxins. But when they accumulate beyond what your body’s antioxidants can neutralize, oxidative stress sets in. Over time, this chronic inflammation contributes to a range of conditions, including obesity.

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We often think of weight loss as simple math: burn more calories than you consume. But the reality is more complicated, and inflammation plays a big part in how the body stores fat.

Here’s how: when you eat carbohydrates, they’re broken down into simple sugars that enter the bloodstream. Rising blood sugar triggers the release of insulin, a hormone that helps shuttle sugar into cells for energy or storage. If there’s more sugar than your body needs, some of it is stored as glycogen in your muscles, and the rest is converted into fat for long-term storage.

Chronic inflammation interferes with how cells respond to insulin, a condition called insulin resistance. When that happens, your body produces even more insulin to try to keep blood sugar in check, which signals the body to store more fat, especially visceral fat (the kind that surrounds internal organs). That fat, in turn, produces more inflammatory molecules, creating a vicious cycle of inflammation and fat storage.

This is where elderberry comes in. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may improve how the body processes sugar and fat, reducing the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction.

A small 2024 study published in Nutrients divided 18 adults with overweight or obesity into two groups: one drank 355 mL (about 12.5 oz) of 100% elderberry juice daily, while the other drank a placebo.

After several weeks, the elderberry group showed 24% lower blood sugar levels and a 9% reduction in insulin levels compared to placebo, suggesting that the berry may help the body manage blood sugar more effectively after meals. Participants who drank elderberry juice also appeared to break down fat more efficiently following a high-carb meal.

While these findings are promising, it’s worth noting that the study was small and short-term. More research is needed to confirm elderberry’s metabolic effects in larger, more diverse populations.

Elderberry juice isn’t a magic solution for weight loss — no single food is. But it can support the process by helping regulate blood sugar and boosting fat burning, especially when paired with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and other healthy habits. 

And a quick safety note: don’t go picking berries straight off a tree. Raw or unripe elderberries contain cyanide-producing compounds that can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea. Cooking them removes those toxins and makes the berries safe to eat.