NutrEx
AUGUST 2025 NEWSLETTER
NEP Research on the Health Benefits of Elderberry Juice Makes Headlines Worldwide
Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to research from the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (NEP). The news made headlines in dozens of publications around the globe this year, reaching a potential audience of more than 1 billion.
Published in the journal Nutrients, a clinical trial led by Associate Professor Patrick Solverson, PhD, found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation. A follow-up study revealed that the improvements in metabolic health may be due to enhanced thyroid function.
Elderberry, a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe, is commonly used as a medicinal plant and supplement to promote immune function. Its other potential health benefits are poorly understood, however. Rooting their research in the region, the team investigated the health benefits of Sambucus nigra canadensis, a variety of wild black elderberry native to North America.
“The American black elderberry is an underappreciated berry, both commercially and nutritionally,” Solverson said. “We’re now starting to recognize its value for human health, and the results are very exciting.”
Gut Health and Metabolic Health Benefits
The researchers tested the effects of elderberry on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial with 18 overweight adults. Participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with similar coloring and taste, specially designed by North Carolina State University’s Food Innovation Lab, while maintaining a standardized diet.
Clinical testing following the intervention showed that when participants consumed elderberry juice, they had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including firmicutes and actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as Bacteroidetes. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for nutrient absorption and supports physical and mental health.
In addition to positive microbiota changes, the elderberry intervention resulted in improved metabolism. Results showed that the elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption. Results also showed a 9% decrease in insulin levels.
Additionally, results suggested that elderberry juice can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat for energy. Participants who received the elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high-carbohydrate meal and during exercise.
Unlocking the Mechanism of Elderberry’s Benefits: Anthocyanins and Hormonal Health
The researchers attribute these positive effects to elderberry’s very high concentration of anthocyanins, plant-based bioactive compounds that have a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial effects.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” Solverson said. “This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”
Other berries contain anthocyanins, but typically in lower concentrations. A person would have to consume four cups of blackberries a day to achieve the same anthocyanin dose contained in 6 ounces of elderberry juice, Solverson said.
Further research by Solverson’s group investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the improvements to metabolic health.
An analysis of thyroid biomarkers in trial participants’ blood samples shows that elderberry juice consumption significantly increased levels of thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Although these findings are preliminary, this purportedly improved thyroid metabolism may have contributed to metabolic benefits like fat oxidation.
NEP Associate Professor Franck Carbonero, PhD, Assistant Professor Catherine Jarrett, PhD, and Scientific Assistant Christy Teets contributed to both studies, rounding out an expert clinical and microbiological team pivotal to the study’s success.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”
Patrick Solverson, PhD, Associate Professor
Commercial Potential in the Health and Wellness Industry
Although elderberry products are less popular in the U.S. than in Europe, demand exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and elderberry continues to be a growing market.
The researchers have filed a provisional patent application for using the bioactive components of American black elderberry for weight management and gut health through supplements or other applications. The WSU Office of Commercialization is assisting with commercialization opportunities, with more information available at commercialization@wsu.edu.
The research team included collaborators at Colorado State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Vermont and was supported by a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
An additional $600,000 in NIFA funding will allow the researchers to explore other applications of elderberry juice, including whether it can support weight maintenance in individuals who have discontinued GLP-1 medications for weight loss. They note that further studies are needed to confirm their initial findings and determine the long-term effects of elderberry in various populations.
In the Media
- ABC KLAX 31
- Drugs.com
- England Times
- Fox News
- Health.com
- Idaho Statesman
- The Independent
- KHQ
- Medical Daily
- Medical Xpress
- MSNBC
- Muscle and Fitness
- News Medical
- New York Post
- Science Daily
- Science News
- Technology Networks
- U.S. News & World Report
- WorldHealth.net
- Woman’s World
Support the Next Generation of Clinicians and Researchers
We count on our generous community to support our students who are dedicated to transforming lives and improving the health and wellbeing of our community. Help support Nutrition and Exercise Physiology students like these and equip a new generation of clinicians and researchers to lead and succeed.
WSU Research Cultivates Healthier Crops and Healthier Lives
