What About Elderberries on the AIP?

What about elderberries on the AIP? This is one HOT topic! Any time I’ve ever posted an elderberry recipe in the midst of AIP followers I get lambasted with a barrage of comments that elderberries are NOT compliant, they’re dangerous, and have I lost my mind!?

Well, first of all, in my own defense, no, I’ve not lost my mind – if you check the AIP food lists from Dr. Sarah Ballantyne for the AIP (including the most up-to-date version of the protocol – The Autoimmune Protocol), elderberries are on the approved list, under berries!

Add to that the fact that our family has grown and used them for years to support the immune system! We LOVE them, and elderberry syrup can be a great thing when you’re run down or feel a cold or flu coming on.

So, what’s all the hub-bub about? Yes or No for AIP?

Elderberries are considered a medicinal herb, and are rich in vitamin A, C and B6 as well as iron and potassium. Plus they’re a potent source of phytonutrients and antioxidants and more! It’s even been validated in scientific studies for colds and flu prevention treatment! BUT … there’s a caveat that Dr. Ballantyne adds to her information online about elderberries:

“Note for my Autoimmune Disease peeps, there is some evidence from malaria studies that elderberry may stimulate Th1 cells, so caution is advised!”
– Source: Elderberry – Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s The Paleo Mom

Clear as mud then, right?

Let me try to clear this up. In plain English, elderberries, like adaptogenic herbs, can potentially stimulate our immune system in those struggling with autoimmune disease. For the Average Joe elderberry will help boost or support their immune system, but for us, it could over-stimulate an immune system that is already a little off balance … so we must use caution.

Best practice for those on the AIP? Approach elderberries as you would a reintroduction (even though they’re on the elimination stage friendly list). Each person’s body will react differently, so take the same approach as you would adding any food back into your diet. Watch for reactions and symptoms .. with any luck you’ll be someone that can safely use elderberry and take advantage of their many health benefits. (DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor, so if it would be best to work with your medical professional on this if you’re at all uncertain).

Health Benefits & Science

Feeling up to some additional reading?

GreenMed Info – “Top Four Antiviral Benefits of Elderberry“
Global Healing – “Elderberry & the Immune System: A Powerful Combination”
Dr. Sarah Ballantyne – “Natural Approaches to Cold and Flu“
Dr. Sarah Ballantyne – Nutrient Information about Berries

If you want to read more about the scientific side of things? Dive into the world of Th1 cells and Cytokine Storms, check this article from Perfect Supplements – “Elderberry & Cytokine Storms.”

Elderberry for Immune Support

If you’re under the weather and searching for remedies online, you’ll likely find lots of recipes out there for sambuca / elderberry syrups, candies and more. If you’ve attempted an elderberry reintroduction and don’t have any issues with it, just be aware of ingredients in these types of products, as they typically contain plenty of inflammatory sweeteners.

So as not to leave you hanging, you can make your own immune boosting syrup below for cold and flu season – I used to use it frequently. You can also find plenty of recipes in my searchable Facebook Group – click here to join and use the group search for terms or hashtags like “under the weather” or “sick soup.”

If you’re looking for a quality product that might suit your needs, I recommend checking out this one from my partners at Pique – Elderberry Liposomal Vitamin C. While I haven’t tried it yet, it sounds like an amazing product, and I’ve been in touch with the company to verify that the ingredients they’re using are top-quality, non-GMO (note: as with all products, please scrutinize the ingredient list and/or consult your medical practitioner to decide if it’s right for your stage of your personal healing journey)

Why to consider trying it*:

Liposomal Vitamin C supports healthy collagen levels and can increase beneficial gut microbes, which help support strong immunity
Vitamin C can increase Bifidobacterium levels, which is associated with improved immunity
Elderberry superfood complex helps combat sun damage
Polyphenols in European black elderberries provide a food source for Akkermansia, a bacteria that supports metabolic and immune health
Maximized for Absorption™ with liposomal encapsulation
Antioxidants help smooth and brighten skin from the inside out
7 clean ingredients with ZERO preservatives, refined sugar, or additives

Recipes

Since I don’t want to cause any confusion to newbies on the AIP, I refrain from posting elderberry recipes over in the AIP Recipe Collection Facebook Group, but I will provide some right here!

IF you find your body doesn’t react poorly to elderberries (be sure to read above), here are a few recipes you may want to try on your AIP journey.

NOTE: since elderberries are NOT sweet at all, most recipes call for a LOT of sugars/sweeteners! I recommend reducing sweeteners to taste.

Photo: © Coconut Mamma

Elderberry Syrup and Gummies (uses fresh or dried elderberries) – I’ve used this recipe and added cinnamon to my gummies – they were very tasty!
Elderberry Syrup (uses fresh elderberries – use honey NOT sugar for AIP)
Elderberry Syrup (uses dried elderberries) –
Elderberry Syrup (uses dried elderberries – omit star anise for AIP elimination stage)
Elderberry Shrub (uses dried elderberries – use honey or maple syrup NOT organic sugar for AIP)
Elderberry Tea (uses dried elderberries)
Elderberry Tea (uses dried elderberries – omit cardamom and use honey NOT stevia for AIP)
Elderberry Jam (use the date syrup mentioned for AIP, NOT a low-carb sweetener)
Elderberry Pomegranate Gummies
Elderberry Popsicles

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* Research References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36475828/
2. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/9/1479

FAQ, Recipe

AIP Books & Cookbooks

Looking for some recommended reading about the AIP, autoimmune disease or maybe an AIP cookbook? You can find my recommendations on the Resources Page, be sure to check them out! – Click here.

FAQ

Self-Care

Goodness knows you’ve been working hard at taking good care of yourself now that you’re on the AIP, there’s a lot of cooking and prepping and learning to be done and you’re probably exhausted. That said, now’s a good time to consider some of the self-care aspects of the protocol we need to address.

Jump over to the Self-Care page and check out my post on Hygge for the AIP– for some additional information and resources on self-care, support, community, exercise, sleep and stress management.

FAQ

Need Motivation?

“Healing is a journey … not a destination.”

Along the way we all need some encouragement and motivation. From time to time we all get incredibly frustrated, fed up cooking every meal, reading every label, completely ready to throw in the towel and start eating a bag of cookies! I get it, I’ve been there too!

Visit the Motivation page – click here – for advice and encouragement that will help you keep moving forward on your autoimmune healing journey. You’re not alone … you’ve got this!

FAQ

Do I Need A Coach?

So, you’re ready to start the AIP, you’ve read the information but aren’t quite sure you’re comfortable to go it alone. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one!

If you’re trying to determine the best route to take, be sure to read more on our Coaching page – click here for lots more information and resources.

FAQ

AIP Resources

Looking for resources beyond what you’re finding in the FAQ section?

I’ve created this post so you don’t miss out on the valuable information on our Resources Page – click here to be redirected.

FAQ

#4 Start Here – Reintroductions

“Strict” AIP is NOT a Life-Sentence

The AIP is meant to be approached in stages – elimination, maintenance and reintroduction. Unfortunately, reintroducing foods often intimidates people because they fear either the process or the potential reactions, and they get STUCK … stuck on the STRICT AIP elimination stage for too long, which is not healthy for body or mind. On the flip side some are too impatient and try to add foods back in too quickly making their efforts futile.

By now I hope you’ve read up on the AIP and understand the three stages to the dietary process. If not, please go back to step #1 and be sure to get a good grasp of it all.

To re-cap, the reintroduction stage is where the real food-trials come in. You’ve removed the most commonly reactive foods from your diet, and now you’ll be adding them back in, sloooooowly, in a specific order (most nutrient dense options first) one at a time to determine if you are reactive to any of them.

So … when can you get started?

It’s Personal

I know I’ve said this a few times but the AIP is meant to be a template, it’s a very personal protocol and eating plan and so too goes the topic of reintroductions. For some, a minimum 30 day of elimination stage is fine, for others it might take 60 or 90 days or much longer, but it’s really not as bad as it sounds. Bottom line, there’s no one right answer for everyone … it’s personal!

Typically, Functional Medicine Practitioners recommend not starting the reintroduction phase until you’re “symptom free” (or have seen some significant improvements) … and obviously this varies by person and condition.

Your body needs time to “rest and digest” … “recover and repair” … basically, you need to be in an un-inflamed state before you try reintroducing foods, otherwise you may never really know what you’re sensitivities are.

To put timing in perspective, because I know you REALLY want to know how long you’re into this for, think of it this way … you didn’t get sick over night, your digestive and immune system didn’t take one hit that caused them to fritz! For many, it’s likely that your body has been taking some abuse in the form of poor eating and drinking habits, toxic exposures or poor lifestyle habits for a while and it’s just been a long slippery slope into your current state of dis-ease. Realistically then it’s going to take some time to un-do those things, bring inflammation down and improve your gut function. Thankfully our bodies are miraculous and can heal if we give them the tools for the job.

If you’re struggling after 30, 60 or 90 days and feel you should be ready, step back and look at your situation honestly. Have you addressed all of the other areas of the AIP as well? Stress, exercise/gentle movement and environmental toxins are a couple that can play a huge role in your recovery, and if you’ve been avoiding addressing these, they may well be what’s stalling your progress. Beyond this there are other factors to consider too and you may want to consider this article on Troubleshooting the AIP.

IMPORTANT NOTE – if you’re still not seeing improvement after 90 days of giving the full Autoimmune Protocol a chance, please seek the advice of an expert to help you dig deeper to find your root cause – there is likely something else holding you back from healing that may not be obvious – click here to find a professional near you.

Be Patient

Some may want to rush into reintros, but remember … slow and steady wins the AIP Race!

Resist the urge to start too soon and resist the urge to wing it when it comes to reintroductions. You’ve put in 30-90 days (or maybe even more) on the elimination stage, don’t waste that effort by throwing in the towel or choosing to decide for yourself how best to reintroduce foods.

The elimination stage was meant to heal your body, and if you’ve been patient and are really feel quite well, reintroductions will likely be an easy process for you. Starting with a “clean slate” so to speak will allow your body to speak to you when you’ve reintroduced something that is not agreeing with you.

That said, be sure to follow a systematic plan of reintroduction when the time comes, including keeping a food and symptom journal (more about that in the resources below).

So, how do you get started? Following are the guides and resources I recommend you consider for best results.

Keep Moving!

What ever you do, keep moving forward – there are no rewards for longest amount of time on the AIP elimination stage!

I’m always shocked and stunned when I hear people in my AIP Recipe Collection Facebook Group proudly comment that they’ve been strict AIP elimination for 759 days or “x” number of months or years! No, no, no, no!! This simply can’t be!

I mean, I get it, there are a lot of folks out there who simply feel too darn good after having eliminated the top inflammatory offenders from their lives that they don’t want to go back to feeling horrible again. But this is where food fear creeps in, and ultimately why we find people out there touting that “the AIP is a dangerous, restrictive diet that just keeps people sick.”

Let’s be clear, elimination diets and the reintroduction process is still considered to be the gold standard in assessing food allergies and sensitivities – even more so than largely inaccurate food sensitivity / allergy testing (you can read more about that here if you’re wondering about that statement). The elimination phase gives the body time to calm and heal, BUT it is NOT meant to be long-term, that is NOT the goal of the Autoimmune Protocol! The magic starts to happen when we begin reintroductions and strive for nutrient density and variety in our diet. This is when we start accumulating personal data and identify what’s potentially driving our symptoms.

Beyond that, reintroductions are just practical! They help improve our quality of life and open up our ability to socialize more freely. No one wants you to get stuck on a restricted diet – it’s hard to maintain – but more importantly we don’t want to get stuck in long-term restriction because it could cause more harm than the good you’ve seen it do.

Don’t be a case that perpetuates the myths and misconceptions about this protocol – keep moving!

If you remember, back at the beginning when we started talking about what the AIP is, what we’d eat and what we’d avoid, we specifically said there were some very nutritious foods that would be eliminated – TEMPORARILY! In short, limiting and restricting food groups long-term can cause dysbiosis in the gut and nutritional deficiencies, so we need to get those back into our diets as soon as possible if they’re not problematic to our individual case.

That said, I hope you see how important it is that you MUST put on your big people pants and take on reintroductions. You’ve already proven that you can do hard things by making it this far, reintros are just the next step – and you’ve got this!

Reintroduction Guides & Resources:

Reintroductions can be tricky, but like I said, you can do hard things. It’s always tempting to try to compare your reactions with someone else’s, but the bottom line is that this too is VERY individual. You will need to keep good track as you go along so you can recognize signs and symptoms of reactions and celebrate all the wins along the way.

As always, my number one, go-to resource for ALL stages of the AIP, is – The Autoimmune Protocol ebook – Dr. Sarah Ballantyne

As of June 2021, the first cookbook dedicated to AIP reintroductions was released, and it’s spectacular! It’s great for all stages of the AIP and a great motivator. It discusses the process of reintros and provides delicious recipes to keep you progressing – check out my review here – The Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction Cookbook – Kate Jay of Healing Family Eats

More articles from my favorite, reliable AIP Experts:

Definitive Guide To Reintroductions – Autoimmune Wellness
Personalized AIP – Autoimmune Wellness
Reintroducing Foods After Following the AIP Elimination Stage – The Paleo Mom
Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol – The Paleo Mom
Top 5 Mistakes People Make Reintroducing Foods – Eileen Baird
Why Aren’t My AIP Reintroductions Working?

FAQ, Recipe

AIP Food Lists

Looking for a list of AIP approved foods or recommendations on where to find ingredients?

Visit our Food Lists Page – click here to be redirected or our Food Sourcing Page – click here to be redirected.

FAQ

#1 Start Here – What Is The AIP and Where Do I Start?

While I’m not about to delve deep into the science behind the AIP or attempt to re-write some exceptionally well presented and well researched material that’s already available online and in print, I will give you a quick synapses here and send you on your way with links to what the experts have to say.

AIP stands for Autoimmune Protocol, or as some call it, the Autoimmune Paleo diet. This diet however, differs considerably from the standard Paleo diet, so this is where we need to start. Let’s dispel any myths and give you a good foundational understanding of the AIP, the whats and whys.

The AIP is a modified version of the Paleo Diet that focuses on nutrient density (more heavily weighted in veggies than meat, which is more Paleo-style) and lifestyle changes that support your immune system and remove inflammatory stimuli from both diet and lifestyle. I quote Dr. Ballantyne, who had a founding role in the AIP, below:

” The AIP is a complementary approach to chronic disease management focused on providing the body with the nutritional resources required for immune regulation, gut health (which includes gut barrier, microbiome, gut-relevant hormones, digestion, and detoxification), hormone regulation and tissue healing while removing inflammatory stimuli from both diet and lifestyle.”

The approach simplifies foods into two categories, either they promote health (nutrients) or they undermine health (because they have inflammatory compounds). That said, the protocol calls for stricter guidelines for which foods should be eliminated from our diet (as compared to the Paleo diet) to help us begin healing from the inside out.

“The AIP diet is designed to be balanced, complete and nutrient-sufficient, meaning that it supplies ample and synergistic quantities of all essential and non-essential nutrients. As such, the Autoimmune Protocol places greater emphasis on the most nutrient-dense foods in our food supply, including organ meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit and mushrooms, rounding out with other quality meats, fresh herbs, safe spices, and healthy fats.”

Done properly, the AIP should provide you with a well-round and balanced diet of healthy, satisfying foods. There are THREE phases to the protocol – elimination, reintroduction and maintenance.

The elimination stage of this diet is used as a template that is to be personalized and then built on, depending on each person’s own health condition, diagnosis and circumstances – it is NOT a one-size fits all approach – and it is NOT overly restrictive, as some may believe.

“While the stronger focus is on what to eat, rather than what to avoid, the AIP is simultaneously an elimination diet strategy, cutting out the foods that are most likely to be holding back our health.”

“The AIP respects bioindividuality and strongly encourages self-discovery through 3-phases: elimination, reintroduction and maintenance. The AIP is a toolbox full of strategies for understanding how your body reacts to foods, lifestyle and your environment and methodologies for healing given your individual health challenges.”

And finally, I must mention that to be truly successful on your journey to autoimmune wellness you will also need to consider lifestyle changes beyond just what goes into your body. Your environment, stress, emotions, products you use daily in your home and on your body can also have significant impact on your healing journey.

“The AIP lifestyle encourages sufficient sleep, stress management, plenty of activity, nature time, and healthy connection as these are important immune modulators and influence both gut health and hormone health.”

Where to Begin?

It’s important not to get stuck in the rut of research, but you should understand the fundamental principles of what you’re about to embark on so you get off on the best foot.

First and foremost, get your hands on the best resource going! The Autoimmune Protocol as written by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is the best resource you can own. The investment is small and more than worthwhile, complete with essential food lists, meal plans, the basics of the protocol, how to get started (a slow transition or cold turkey), how to reintroduce foods correctly when you get to that stage and more! Get your copy and read it as soon as you can – everything else is really just extra.

When to Begin?

A lot of people make it a goal to start the AIP as a part of their healthy New Year’s Resolutions … is that the best time, or should you start right away? Learn more in my dedicated post – When Should You Start Your AIP Healing Journey?

Is the AIP For Everyone?

If you’re here and find yourself asking whether the AIP is really for you, or if it’s something everyone should try, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s post on her website addresses this perfectly. The following is a brief summary, but you can read the full post here if you wish – Should Everyone Follow the AIP.

“It (the AIP) isn’t just for people with autoimmune disease! Inflammation is a factor in all chronic illnesses, and this is one area where the foods we eat can make a huge difference. Reducing inflammation and giving the immune system the resources it needs, as well as the opportunity, to regulate itself, can help in every single chronic illness, not just autoimmune disease.

The AIP is not a substitute for your doctor, but instead is compatible with informed and judicious use of conventional medicine interventions, pharmaceuticals, and supplements, and fully embraces functional medicine.

In short, the AIP is a collection of best practices related to diet and lifestyle, not to the exclusion of additional treatments or interventions, that can be individualized to address specific circumstances and goals, framed in the context of a person whose health challenges imply a lower resilience to suboptimal choices.”

Online Resources & Reading:

If you’re unable to purchase the above reference book, this would be your next best place to begin … or … you might suggest these links to family and friends who are trying to grasp what it is that you’re doing to help improve your health.

What is the AIP? (click here for the full article) by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne (the creator of the protocol) is a more scientific approach to explaining the healing journey you’re about to embark upon, and it goes into greater detail than the article below by Angie Alt. (NOTE: Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol were announced in the Spring of 2019 when Dr. Ballantyne’s updated, The Autoimmune Protocol book was released. With that came several new posts online to help folks clarify and get a brief overview of the whats and whys of the changes. You can read more online about them here on her website Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol, but for the most part, updates are applicable to the reintroduction phase of the protocol.)

The 3 Phases of the Autoimmune Protocol (click here for the article) by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a little different – her description of the three phases is more what I think to be appropriate (and she is after all one of the pioneers of the protocol), but both have merit. You’ll always find that Dr. Ballantyne’s approach is more scientific and clinical than that you’ll see on the Autoimmune Wellness website. Both have their own approach and both are amazing in their own ways.

Looking for a more abbreviated version? What is AIP? – The Definitive Guide (click here for the article) by Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness is a fantastic resource if you’re just starting out and need to know more about the AIP (including the lifestyle factors) or if you’ve been on the AIP a while but feel you really don’t have a grasp of it. It contains the what’s, why’s and how’s in a “brief” (considering the magnitude of the subject) overview.

If you’re struggling to explain the AIP to friends and family, I have to tell you I love the “Elevator Speech” portion of this guide – just awesome!

This is simply a WONDERFUL all-round article for EVERYONE on the AIP, considering the AIP or trying to support a loved one faced with autoimmune issues and the AIP

20 Keys to Success on The AIP (click here for the article) by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a great post of exceptional advice. A lot of this information is included in her book but this is a great read and reminder.

Quick Start Guide (click here for the guide) from Autoimmune Wellness is a series of emails that include food lists, meal plans, videos, tips and e-guides that you can sign up for. Great, reliable information from one of my top resources.

Need a Helping Hand?

If you know you’re likely going to face challenges transitioning and sticking to the AIP, please check out my Coaching Page – this is where you’ll find more resources for getting the helping hand you need.

Looking for MORE?

For the sake of brevity and to keep this post simple and concentrated to the very basics of getting started on the AIP, I’ll save the “more” for another post that you can find here – Beginner Resources – Start Here Part 2.

FAQ

#2 Start Here – Beginner Resources

Now that we’ve covered what the AIP is and the basics of where to get started (that’s found in Start Here Part 1 if you missed it) and you’re feeling a little more comfortable with the concept, we can move on and dig in to some additional resources you may find helpful and enjoyable (watch for the links in the paragraphs below and click).

Food Lists – If you haven’t read up on this yet, be sure to check out the details on my Food Lists page. This is pretty essential, so be sure to concentrate your efforts here next.

Mental Preparation – While it’s logical, it may not be obvious that we need to take a moment and prepare mentally for the AIP. You deserve a moment to be angry, (because like I’ve said elsewhere on this site, Grieving Over Illness is a real part of your healing journey) but this is about more than that. You need to establish your baseline, pump yourself up with a few positive affirmations (I know it sounds corny but it really helps throughout your challenging times and sends positive messages to your brain and body for healing), be sure to give yourself permission not to be perfect (it’s next to impossible to be PERFECTLY AIP all the time), be thankful and then put on our big girl/boy pants and get on with it! Check out Angie Alt’s post on Autoimmune Wellness, 6 Ways to Mentally Prep for the AIP (click here for the article).

Keep It Simple – This is probably my TOP tip! I talk about it in my motivational post, but I also recommend this post by Autoimmune Wellness, 5 Ways to Keep It Simple on the AIP (click here for the article), which talks about keeping your focus on nutrient density, a few good kitchen tools, using a basic approach to meals instead of complicated recipes, keeping convenience products in their place and avoiding trying to make too many changes all at once.

Kitchen Tools – I get asked a LOT what kitchen tools are essential for the AIP, so I’ll quickly refer you to a couple of great references: #1 Go to the Autoimmune Wellness website Resources page and click on Our Favorite Kitchen Tools (click here for the page) for a list of suggestions, #2 Check out the Kitchen Tour (click here for the page) feature on their website where average AIP-ers share their kitchen set ups so you can be inspired to get into your kitchen (these features include suggestions for kitchen tools and gadgets too and people are featured by the autoimmune disease that they’re coping with). I’m flattered to have been included back in July of 2018, and you can check out my kitchen tour here.

Motivation to Get Started – I LOVE this little summary of the 20 core principles that are important for empowering you on your AIP journey – I hope you find it motivational too. It’s a quick read – The AIP Manifesto.

Digging Deeper – If you’ve made it this far and you’re still hungry for more information or maybe you’re trying to do some diagnostics on your AIP efforts, check out my next post of recommendations where you can dig deeper into do’s and don’ts, troubleshooting and more – click here for Digging Deeper & Troubleshooting – Start Here Part 3.