I was excited to try these products because we are getting into the cold/flu season, and I want to make sure my family stays healthy. I know several people who use elderberry syrup, but I hadn't used it yet.
After a week of trying the products, there were my initial impressions:
SAMBUCOL ORIGINAL BLACK ELDERBERRY SYRUP 7.8OZ
Tastes great, seems to work. With any preventative product, it is hard to tell if it really "works"... would I have gotten sick had I not taken it? Who knows. If I can find it for a reasonable price (price online is way too high) I would purchase it again.
SAMBUCOL KIDS BLACK ELDERBERRY SYRUP 7.8OZ
I had tried the regular version before (for ages 4+) and it looked like this has the SAME concentration, same dosage instructions (other than nutritional percentages) and seems to be the same ingredients, except with a slightly different flavor. Why is the other bottle only for ages 4+ and this is for 2+? I am not sure.** But the kids like the taste, so it is a good supplement. Just too pricey to buy all the time.
SAMBUCOL HOMEOPATHIC COLD & FLU RELIEF REMEDY
It was good timing, because I did feel like I was starting to get a cold, and that is when you are supposed to start taking it. I don't know if it helped with any of the symptoms (runny nose, headache, slightly sore throat) but it did seem to lessen the time I had the cold. Typically when I get a virus it lasts at least a week and gets progressively worse, but while I was taking this, my symptoms never progressed past mild, and I was only sick for a couple days. I don't think it's really a remedy, but more of an immune booster. But I would (and have) recommended it to my friends as a safe way to treat a cold. A cold is not usually something you can "cure"... just wait till the virus runs its course. And this seems to shorten that course.
This was my favorite product- in terms of value. The Syrup and gummies are just too expensive, and the Pastilles were weird. This is what I will be purchasing in the future.
SAMBUCOL BLACK ELDERBERRY GUMMIES 30CT
My family enjoys the taste of these gummies. They have a strong flavor, but no bad aftertaste, and they are easy to chew and swallow for my kids. I wish they didn't stick together so much- it is basically like a big clump in the bottle, and you have to work at it to get the gummies to come apart. They do keep their form, though, so you don't have to worry that you are eating more than 1 serving/dose. So far (we've been taking them for about a week) it is hard to say whether the immunity boosting properties are really working. They are pretty expensive for a preventative treatment, and there are 5 of us in my family, so I don't know if I will be able to continue purchasing them in the future. The picture shows the bottle pretty much filled up with gummies- this is not the case. Like a bag of chips, the bottle is mostly air. So, I wish it came with more gummies and I wish they werent so sticky, but overall I believe this is a good product.
SAMBUCOL BLACK ELDERBERRY PASTILLE THROAT LOZENGE
Of all the Sambucol products I've used, these are the ones I like the LEAST. The flavor is weird (almost meaty-irony, mixed with the berry flavor. didn't taste honey at all) and the texture is hard to know what to do with (you are not supposed to swallow them, but they can't really be chewed, and sucking on them gives you more of the unpleasant flavor) I didn't think they were soothing at all, like a typical losenge. The elderberry properties are there, and the only thing giving these 3 stars is the price-- they seem that they are the most affordable way, with this brand, to get your elderberry benefits. But I would much rather have a gummy or a syrup, if I can afford it.
**A friend pointed out to me at the party that the concentration seems different.
I invited several friends to my party, and due to schedules, two of them (and their 4 kids) couldnt make it. So, our lunch date party was small, but we had fun discussing our opinions and past experiences with this brand. Two of the other friends were excited about the samples and coupons, and one said she does not want to try them.
