The Herbal Ally Series Part 6: Acerola Cherries vs Elderberries

Description

Welcome to Part 6 of our series on herbal allies, in which I discuss plant medicines that have traditionally been used together across various herbal-based medical systems. 

If you have not read Part 1 (Gotu Kola vs Holy Basil), Part 2 (Bacopa vs Gotu Kola), Part 3 (Bacopa vs Lion’s Mane), or Part 4 (Ginkgo vs Bacopa), or Part 5 (Matcha vs Lion's Mane), please check them out. 

All forms of traditional herbal medicine recognize that individual herbs have their appropriate place in medicine. However, herbal formulas are central to these long-standing traditional systems of medicine. 

In fact, the tradition of observing how herbs in their natural environments interact and function as medicines has long led to the creation of some of the most longstanding and effective formulas: Hoxey Red Clover and Essiac, as an example. A core value in creating these potent formulas is understanding herbal allies. 

In simple terms, herbal allies are plant medicines that work well together, creating a more potent effect through synergy and by supporting each other's primary mechanisms of action. However, herbal allies are not just about tradition. They are a perfect blend of tradition and modern science.  

A match made in Heaven: Acerola and Elderberries

In today’s article, I will discuss another great example of two foods that each have long-standing histories as potent tonics in Europe and South America. However, thanks to modern science, we have learned that they truly are a match made in heaven. I am talking about acerola cherries and elderberries. 

This article will focus specifically on their mechanisms of action (based on Western herbal medicine) and on how they complement one another. Before I get started, let's do a basic review of what tonics specifically are. 

In simple terms, a tonic is a drink or medicinal preparation intended to invigorate, restore balance, and improve body tone. Tonics are designed to be used consistently over an extended period to gradually build resilience and adaptability. Western medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda all use tonic foods and herbs as the basis of their medical systems. Tonics are defined based on function and criteria. 

Four fundamental aspects define a tonic herb, whether in Western or TCM contexts:

1. They create and support physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 
2. They can be used for an unlimited period with no adverse effects.
3. No matter how long an individual uses tonic herbs, they never build a tolerance.
4. True tonics come from their authentic source and spiritual homeland. 

Next, let’s discuss specifically how functional food “immune system tonics” help to support a healthy immune system response. Said simply, they deliver concentrated bioactive compounds that support a healthy immune response through the following mechanisms of action: 

• Antioxidant protection neutralizes free radicals, protecting immune cells from oxidative damage during active defense.
• Supporting healthy white blood cell response by stimulating the production, function, and mobility of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells.
• Immune regulation through balancing cytokine signaling, preventing the immune system from overreacting or causing chronic low-grade inflammation. 
• Nourishing the microbiome via their prebiotic fibers and fermented components that fuel beneficial gut bacteria.  

What are acerola cherries and what do they specifically do? 

We can’t discuss what acerola does without first looking at the difference between unripe versus ripe acerola cherries.  

All fruits go through different stages of development. Each phase brings unique changes to flavor, texture, nutritional quality, and culinary uses. 

What seems strange to one culture—when and how a specific food is eaten or prepared — may be a long-standing tradition to another. For example, you may be surprised to learn that many unripe fruits (like bananas and papaya) provide a unique profile of compounds you may not find in the ripened version. 

Acerola is another excellent example of this unique phenomenon, with fantastic qualities, especially in the unripe stage. For example, these unripe versions are higher in pectin, which allows for greater culinary creativity, such as jams and jellies.  

It has always been believed that a perfectly ripe acerola cherry is the stage of peak nourishment, but thanks to people who research plant chemistry, what we have recently learned may well debunk this theory. 

As with all fruits, acerola cherries mature and progress through various stages of ripeness, and their constituent concentrations change accordingly. This teaches us that to obtain the best qualities from acerola cherries for culinary and nutritional purposes, they should be utilized in the most appropriate stage for your goal. 

The unripe green acerola cherry contains around three times as much vitamin C as the ripe version.  As acerola cherries ripen, they are highly perishable and susceptible to damage and mold. Therefore, they should be eaten within 24 to 48 hours, or processed into juice or powder shortly thereafter. 

Generally speaking, as acerola cherries ripen, phenolic acids, flavonols (quercetin and rutin), and proanthocyanins (catechin and epicatechin) decrease, while carotenoids, flavones, and anthocyanins increase. Acerola is one of the richest sources of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), containing around 1700 milligrams per cup. However, acerola cherries are often harvested when they are green, when their vitamin C content is at its peak (around 4500 milligrams per 100 grams of fresh acerola). 

Next, let’s quickly break down what “Vitamin C” means and how it relates to acerola. 

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about the various forms of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, Buffered, Liposomal, and Ascorbyl palmitate) regarding absorption, plasma levels, and bioavailability. So, let’s get some clarity on this topic.

• All Vitamin C, aka L-Ascorbic Acid, derived from a whole food matrix or synthetic sources, is chemically identical, with no known differences in biological activity. 
• Buffered (with minerals), liposomal (encased in fat), and ascorbyl palmitate (both fat- and water-soluble components) provide no extra benefit specifically to the utilization of Vitamin C other than being slightly less acidic in the digestive system. 
• Ascorbyl Palmitate contains water- and fat-soluble components, but the digestive system essentially strips away the fat-soluble part to derive the pure ascorbic acid.   

The research on this specific topic shows evidence on both ends of the spectrum. 

A review titled Synthetic or Food-Derived Vitamin C- Are they equally Bioavailable? It was stated,  “All steady-state comparative bioavailability studies in humans have shown no differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, regardless of the subject population, study design, or intervention used. Some human pharmacokinetic studies have shown transient, small differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, although these differences are likely to have minimal physiological impact. Study design issues and future research directions are discussed.” 

When you consume food sources of L-Ascorbic Acid, like acerola, in addition to your vitamin C supplements, what you get is a wide array of polyphenolic compounds that influence various mechanisms of action and provide protection well beyond what you get from just vitamin C. 

I call this the whole-food-matrix effect because no single compound within that matrix works independently.  

So, what exactly does acerola do?

As mentioned above, acerola is a polyphenol and antioxidant powerhouse, which makes it a superior free-radical scavenger, an upregulator of potent antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and a synergistic marvel that helps regenerate oxidized vitamin C and stabilize the active antioxidant environment because of its complex whole-food matrix. 

According to preliminary studies, the synergistic matrix of compounds in acerola may downregulate the inflammatory response through the following mechanisms:  

• Stops cell signaling pathways such as NF-κB, iNOS, and MAPK that trigger swelling and tissue stress.
• Lowers levels of harmful proteins like TNF-α and IL-6 released by overactive immune cells.
• Prevents specific immune cells, such as macrophages, from entering an aggressive, inflammatory state. 
• Acerola also has the ability to enhance natural killer (NK) cell functionality and protect active immune cells from self-generated oxidative burst damage during pathogen elimination.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss acerola’s potential as a potent modulator of cytokines. However, before I dig into this topic, let's review cytokines in general. 

In simple terms, cytokines are small proteins that act as chemical messengers within your immune system, helping control inflammation. However, if you have read any of my previous articles, you know I never leave it at “simple”. 

Cytokines’ primary purpose is to ensure your immune cells know exactly when to attack pathogens, how to coordinate an attack, and when to stand down by regulating immune and inflammatory responses. 

Cytokines are responsible for the following functions.

• Coordinating immune responses by binding to specific cell-surface receptors. This triggers intracellular signaling cascades that direct immune cells to sites of infection. 
• Signaling Inflammation: This refers to chemicals produced by the body known as pro-inflammatory cytokines. Their purpose is to trigger localized inflammation, recruit immune cells to the site of damage, promote fever to inhibit pathogen growth, and facilitate tissue repair. 
• Resolving Inflammation: After injury or infection is under control, cytokines turn off the immune response to prevent damage to healthy tissue.  

As stated above, cytokines act as the body’s chemical messengers, coordinating the entire inflammatory process. Essentially, they are released by immune cells to trigger, direct, and turn off inflammation in response to an injury or infection. This process is done in four phases: 

1. Pro-inflammatory response: Essentially, cytokines sound the alarm and act quickly to contain the threat by stimulating the acute immune response. This increases blood flow, causes vascular leakage that leads to swelling and pain, and induces a fever. 
2. The recruitment phase: Cytokines increase blood vessel dilation and permeability, leading to fluid exiting the bloodstream and entering the affected tissue, resulting in classic signs of inflammation. 
3. The guidance phase: A subset of cytokines guide immune cells directly to the site of the injury or infection. 
4. The anti-inflammatory phase: Anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-beta are released to stop the immune response and promote tissue repair once the threat is no longer present.  

In simple terms, Acerola reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 by inhibiting key inflammatory signaling pathways, including NF-κB, JAK-STAT3, and MAPK, largely due to its rich content of natural vitamin C and bioactive polyphenols.  

What are Elderberries and what do they specifically do? 

Elderberries are the small, dark purple-to-black fruits of the Sambucus tree or shrub, with the most common variety being Sambucus nigra (European or black elder). Elderberries are considered to be one of the most popular tonic foods during the cold and flu season. 

When you walk into a health food store, you see an entire section dedicated to all the various forms (powder, capsules, tinctures, syrups, and gummies) of elderberry products and a wide array of formulations that include elderberry as a primary ingredient. 

Elderberry has an awe-inspiring history and an impressive nutritional profile (containing around 50 milligrams of Vitamin C and 10 grams of fiber per cup), and robust studies support its use. 

However, like many berries, the power is in the polyphenolic compounds. Polyphenols are a term used to describe a general category of compounds found in a broad spectrum of fruits, vegetables, and tea that work as “reducing agents,” along with other compounds known as antioxidants, to support a healthy inflammatory response and the body's ability to protect and repair damaged tissue caused by oxidative stress.

While over 8,000 polyphenols have been identified, some of the most common are flavonoids, flavonols, and anthocyanins. 

Elderberries are extremely rich sources of these specific compounds:

• Anthocyanins are a part of the flavonoid family of polyphenolic compounds. They represent the pigments that exhibit the bright red, purple, and blue colors found in fruits and vegetables. The six most common are Cyanidins, Delphinidins, Malvidins, Peonidins, Petunidins, and Pelargonidins.  
• Flavonols are polyphenols belonging to the flavonoid family, with a ketone group, and are studied for their wide range of biological activities (antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, modulating inflammation, and vasodilation). They primarily accumulate in the outer tissues(skin and leaves) of fruits and vegetables, are the building blocks of proanthocyanins(compounds that are attributed to the colors of fruits and vegetables), and are most widespread in the human diet.

The following was stated in a study examining the Characterization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in certain cultivars of Ribes, Aronia, and Sambucus, as well as their antioxidant capacity. 

• Thirty-one different anthocyanins were detected in these berries, but not every anthocyanin was observed in each berry. Several minor anthocyanins were identified from these berries for the first time. The concentrations of individual anthocyanins in all of the berries were quantified using relevant anthocyanidin 3-glucoside standards.
• Total proanthocyanidin concentrations in the berries studied ranged from 23 to 664 mg/100 g of FW in elderberry and chokeberry, respectively.

Furthermore, these compounds found in elderberries work to do the following: 

• Block infections (influenza A, B, and H1N1 viruses) by binding to viral glycoproteins, preventing viruses from entering host cells and replicating. 
• Enhances the production of inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-alpha and interleukins), which are signaling proteins that activate immune cells (specifically monocytes) to fight infections. 

Here is some more important information about a cytokine storm.

A cytokine storm, or hypercytokinemia, is a severe immune reaction in which the body releases excessive cytokines into the bloodstream too quickly, and it can occur due to an infection, autoimmune condition, or other disease. Having a large amount of them released into the body can be harmful, as we only need a small increase in antiviral cytokines to fight off respiratory illness. Therefore, it is vital to understand that, with cytokine storms, the question is one of scale. 

For example, a mild-to-moderate infection can cause a 10- to 100-fold increase in cytokines, whereas running a marathon can produce a 100-fold increase. In severe cases, it can increase 10,000-fold. For clarity, many of the specific cytokines released during a marathon (such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha) overlap with those produced during viral infections. However, the trigger, the primary source, and the overall balance of the immune response differ significantly between heavy exercise and viral sickness.

As stated earlier, the herb elderberry has recently been mistakenly blamed for causing a cytokine storm. Interestingly enough, the following was stated in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding how a cytokine storm is defined: “There is no universal quantitative threshold or specific numerical amount (e.g., a precise picogram-per-milliliter measurement) that defines a cytokine storm. Instead, medical and scientific definitions rely on clinical context, relative elevations above normal baseline levels, and the presence of severe systemic inflammation rather than a fixed cutoff value.” Therefore, I suppose, based on the above “non-definition,” any increase in cytokines is considered a storm.  

There are generally three factors that influence the level of cytokine response. 

1. The type of pathogen: While the cytokine profile differs between bacterial and viral infections, viruses generally trigger a higher level of cytokine release (up to 1,000-fold).
2.  Severity of the condition
3. Age, which varies by more than 1,000-fold across a population. 

Interestingly, elderberry only increases cytokines by 2- to 6-fold, a tiny fraction compared to the above examples.

Finally, let's show the difference in the scale of cytokine release by comparing what happens when you run a marathon versus when you consume elderberry. 

• Running a marathon imposes high levels of mechanical stress and microtears in muscle fibers, triggering a sharp release of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signaling proteins such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-Reactive Protein, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha.
• Consuming elderberry provides anthocyanins. Therefore, rather than causing physical stress or triggering an inflammatory cascade, elderberry interacts quietly with immune cells to mildly inhibit pro-inflammatory markers such as TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta. Because there is no tissue trauma, there are no massive surges in IL-6 or muscle enzymes (such as creatine kinase).  

Furthermore, anthocyanins, such as those found in elderberry, have been shown to help mitigate systemic inflammation that peaks 24 to 48 hours after a marathon.  

How do Acerola and Elderberry complement each other?

In simple terms, together they combine direct viral interference with cellular immune reinforcement. Elderberry provides direct antiviral anthocyanins that block viral attachment to cells, while acerola supplies abundant, highly bioavailable natural vitamin C that activates white blood cells and regenerates antioxidant compounds through the following mechanisms of action. 

• Acerola provides a rich matrix of ascorbic acid, which stimulates the production, motility, and pathogen-killing activity of phagocytes and T-lymphocytes.
• Elderberry polysaccharides stimulate dendritic cell maturation and prompt T-cells to release specific regulatory cytokines. Furthermore, their active anthocyanins bind to surface viral proteins, physically preventing the virus from attaching to and entering host cells.
• Elderberry and acerola together create a hostile intracellular environment for viral replication; elderberry fractions inhibit viral RNA translation, while adequate vitamin C status dampens overall systemic viral loads and shortens recovery times. Combining them reduces the rate at which active vitamin C is prematurely excreted, allowing for a sustained pool of cellular antioxidants that helps preserve elderberry's active polyphenols from oxidation. 
  

In conclusion, understanding the principles of effective formula formulation is a multilayered process. One of the longest-standing traditions is observing how each plant functions both independently and in association with other plants. 

Therefore, when you understand the science behind plant medicines and that each plant has multiple allies that support its ability to heal, you have a proper match made in heaven.  

For more information about our Acerola, go here: Organic Freeze Dried Acerola Cherry Powder (Unripe)

For more information about our Elderberries, go here: Organic Freeze Dried Elderberry Powder

The Author’s Bio
Michael Stuchiner is a Master Herbalist and proud graduate of The School of Natural Healing, with over 25 years of experience in various aspects of the field. He is a retired elite-level powerlifter who competed for 27 years. As an avid international traveler, he is passionate about the use of medicinal and tonic herbs, as well as foods traditionally found in local markets across the 35 countries he has visited. Michael shares his years of experience as a Master Herbalist, traveler, and athlete through the hundreds of articles he has written and his YouTube channel, "A Master Herbalist Perspective." He is considered a true educator in this field. For more articles written by Mike, go here: Master Herbalist.