Ft. Wayne, IN–  Surprising new research is supporting the elderberry as a major player in digestive health.

Arrtemis International, leader and pioneer in the science of dark berry extracts and supplier of flavonoid-rich Berryceutical ingredients, announced the news recently in apress release.

A recentstudy from the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and published in the journalSciencein August 2017, investigated the interplay between the microbiome and high-antioxidant flavonoids, such as those in elderberries.

Using mice as subjects, researchers found that a particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu. According to the release, the presence of DAT (desaminotyrosine), a compound identified as being a metabolite in the gut after the consumption of key flavonoids present in elderberry, actually helps protect against damage from influenza. Therefore, a healthy balance of gut microbiota as well as flavonoid-rich foods/supplements like Elderberry appear to be the magic cocktail for positively impacting immune health.

Says Melanie Bush, Chief Science Officer at Artemis International, the research “...identifies a multifaceted relationship between polyphenols and gut microflora: some polyphenols have been shown to modulate a healthy balance of friendly/healthy bacteria, and the microflora in the gut metabolize polyphenols into more bioavailable metabolites with immune-boosting and other benefits.”

Research also showed the health benefits one would get from combining antioxidant-rich flavonoids with probiotics in a single product.  “It’s a one-two punch of functionality that takes the popular categories of probiotics and antioxidants to a new multi-dimensional level,” adds Bush.

Anotherstudyconducted at the Department of Life Sciences in Cambridge, UK, that investigated the functional outcomes of incorporating antioxidant components into the human gut by measuring the impact of a prebiotic-probiotic-antioxidant blend on endotoxin levels in humans pre-and post endurance sports, such as a triathlon saw marked benefits and suggested that the industry should be looking at antioxidant-rich ingredients like Elderberry to pair with typical gut-health products when formulating new supplements, according to the release.

“There is exciting and significant research being done on the microbiome and exactly how a healthy gut supports the immune system and overall human health,” Bush concludes. “Elderberry is already an established name in the world of immune support and the concept of its flavonoids contributing to added benefits by way of the gut and working in conjunction with probiotics (which are top of mind among consumers), gives formulators looking to leverage benefits of various ingredients in functional foods and dietary supplements even more to work with.”