Nature's Way Sambucus Black Elderberry Extract is a standardized preparation made from the fruit of a European shrub known as black elderberry. Elderberries have been used in many ways to make foods and beverages, but in herbal medicine, elderberry is a powerhouse herb for helping your body resist and recover from common seasonal illnesses like cold and flu. Elderberry helps with aspects like coughs, sore throats and congestion, less so for things like body aches or head aches. Elderberry has a longer history of use than other medicinal herbs like echinacea and goldenseal, and has no side-effects. Many people swear by Sambucus (and its earlier incarnation Sambucol) and take it seasonally, as a preventative beginning as soon as the weather turns cool in the fall. Sambucus along with whey protein, zinc lozenges and extra vitamin C is a great way to support your body's defenses through the cold and flu season.