Ellwood Elderberry Essentials Opens Doors to Healing Powers

Enthusiastic over elderberry. That’s Shauna Cucunato, owner of newly opened Ellwood Elderberry Essentials.

Cucunato will share her enthusiasm and all she knows about elderberry tomorrow September 7 during her Grand Opening event at 429 Lawrence Ave with Katy’s – Homestyle Bakery & More where her products will have a permanent home.

“I am so excited to be opening,” Cucunato said.

Although she is a nursing student and has a strong belief in modern medicine, plenty of research has led her to believe that elderberry is a magical fruit.

“Medicines are convenient,” she said. “But there are sometimes terrible side effects that come with medications.”

Because elderberry is such a potent ancient fruit, it is important to not overuse it, she said, because that can lead to upset stomach and diarrhea.

“I realized that we needed to find ways to dilute it, so we can have it every day,” she said.

Cucunato has found a way to manufacture the elderberry into liquid and gummy (gelatin) form. And her methods are government regulated and approved. She recently got her food license from the borough, which allowed her to take the next step in her business—distributing her product.

She said she wants to share the healing powers of elderberry with anyone the fruit can help, which according to her is more than likely a long list.

“Elderberry is an ancient, ancient, fruit with tons of healing benefits,” she said.

Some benefits it can provide include: immune system boost, a lowering of lipid levels, wound healing, gastrointestinal health, increased energy, anti-cancer and viral benefits, a decrease in inflammation, pain relief, anti-fungal and antimicrobial, healthy skin, detoxification, stabilization of blood pressure and blood sugar, antioxidant benefits, heart health, and alleviation of allergies.

Its benefits are backed by studies and trials conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Cucunato said she has witnessed the healing powers of the fruit as she watched it alleviate her husband’s arthritis.

“He was able to completely go off of his meds,” she said.

According the Cucunato, elderberry can also cut a cold by four days.

Seeing these positive shifts was an inspiration for Cucunato.

“It was a driving force to want to turn it into a community thing,” she said. “Elderberry is a whole-body healing system. It’s healing in a bottle.”

To learn more about elderberry and Ellwood Elderberry Essentials visit the Facebook page: Click here.