What This Elderberry Tea Is For
Elderberry & Echinacea Tea is the elderberry tea people reach for at the first scratch in the throat, when a cold is coming and they would rather do something than nothing. It is just two ingredients — elderberry 60% and echinacea 40% — in 20 bags that each brew up to three cups, which is around 60 cups a box.
No authorised health claim exists for elderberry or for echinacea, because every botanical claim is on hold in the register. So nobody is permitted to tell you it shortens a cold or strengthens your immune system, and we hold back from doing so. What a hot cup of this will reliably do is soothe a sore throat and get warm fluid into you, both of which are worth having when you feel rough.
If You Take Antiretrovirals or Any Immune Medicine, Read This First
Of everything written here this is the part to read twice, and it is the reason to buy a tea like this from a pharmacy rather than a supermarket.
Echinacea is thought to act on the immune system, and that makes it a question rather than a simple yes for anyone whose immune system is already being managed. If you take antiretrovirals, medicines after a transplant, steroids for a long-term condition, methotrexate or any other immune-suppressing treatment, please come and talk to our pharmacist before you start, and bring the packets. The same goes for anyone with an autoimmune condition such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
None of that means it is dangerous. It means it is a conversation, and that conversation takes two minutes at our counter and is on offer almost nowhere else a tea is sold.
What Is in This Elderberry Tea
Elderberry 60%, wild-harvested, and organically grown echinacea purpurea at 40%. Nothing else at all: no flavourings, no oils, no tea leaf and therefore no caffeine. For a herbal blend that is unusually short and it is the best thing about this box, because two ingredients at known percentages is something you can actually check.
Echinacea is in the daisy family. If you react to daisies, chrysanthemums or ragweed, this is one to mention to us before you try it, and anyone with asthma or a history of strong allergic reactions should ask as well.
How to Brew This Elderberry Tea, and How Long to Take It
One bag in a cup, 200 ml of freshly boiled water, four to five minutes, then press the bag gently against the side and sip. Two to three cups a day while you feel rough, and each bag will take two more brews after the first, all on the same day.
Echinacea is traditionally taken in short runs rather than continuously, so the sensible pattern is a week or so around a cold and then stopping, rather than a cup every day through the year. If you find yourself wanting it continuously, that is a reason to come and see us rather than to buy another box.
Honey and a slice of lemon do no harm at all and make the elderberry easier to drink, which matters more than it sounds when your throat hurts.
Two Things With More Behind Them Than a Herb
If what you want is something for your immune system with properly established backing, the answer is a nutrient rather than a herb. Vitamin C is permitted to say it contributes to the normal function of the immune system, which is more than anything in this box can say, and our pharmacist will tell you what dose makes sense.
And if your trouble is a chesty, productive cough rather than a raw throat, a different blend suits it better. Our mullein and thyme tea is built for that end of a cold, and the two are worth keeping apart rather than drinking whichever box is nearest.
When a Cold Needs Our Doctor Rather Than a Tea
Most coughs and colds settle on their own in a week to ten days, and a warm drink is a reasonable companion for that week. Some do not, and those are worth seeing someone about.
Please come in if you are breathless or your chest is tight, if a fever has lasted more than three days or is very high, if you are coughing up blood, if a sore throat is severe enough that swallowing is difficult, if symptoms are getting worse after a week rather than better, or if you have a long-term chest condition such as asthma. And if the person who is ill is a baby, a frail older person or someone with a weakened immune system, please bring them to our doctor rather than brewing anything.
Is This Elderberry Tea Right for You?
It suits an otherwise healthy adult who wants something warm and caffeine-free at the start of a cold, and who understands they are buying a comforting cup rather than a treatment. Two ingredients, both named with percentages, and 60 cups a box make it honest value on those terms.
Please speak to us first if any of these describes you:
- You take antiretrovirals, transplant medicines, long-term steroids or anything else that affects your immune system. Bring the packets in.
- You have an autoimmune condition such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
- You react to daisies, chrysanthemums or ragweed, or you have asthma or a history of strong allergic reactions. Echinacea is a daisy.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding, or buying it for a child. Please see our doctor first.
- You are breathless, feverish for more than three days, coughing blood, or getting worse after a week. Please come in rather than buy.
And if you are not sure which of those applies to you, ask our pharmacist before you spend anything.
Where to Buy Elderberry & Echinacea Tea 20’s in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At two to three cups a day while you feel unwell a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A herbal tea like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Elderberry & Echinacea Tea 20’s from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will check echinacea against your medicines if your immune system is being managed, ask about daisy-family allergy before you try it, and send you to our doctor when a cold stops behaving like a cold. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Elderberry & Echinacea Tea: Your Questions Answered
What is in it?
Two things only: elderberry 60%, wild-harvested, and organically grown echinacea purpurea 40%. No flavourings, no oils, no tea leaf and no caffeine.
Will it stop my cold?
We are not permitted to tell you that, because no authorised health claim exists for elderberry or echinacea. What a hot cup will reliably do is soothe a sore throat and get warm fluid into you, and when you feel rough that is worth having.
I am on antiretrovirals. Can I drink it?
Please come and talk to our pharmacist first and bring your packets. Echinacea is thought to act on the immune system, which makes it a question rather than a simple yes for anyone whose immune system is being managed with medicine. It takes two minutes at the counter.
What if I have an autoimmune condition?
Same answer: ask us first. Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and similar conditions are all reasons to have the conversation before you start rather than after.
Could I be allergic to it?
Echinacea is in the daisy family, so if you react to daisies, chrysanthemums or ragweed, mention it before you try this. Anyone with asthma or a history of strong allergic reactions should ask as well.
How many cups a day?
Two to three while you feel unwell. Each bag takes two more brews after the first, all on the same day, so a box of 20 runs to about 60 cups.
How long should I take it for?
A week or so around a cold, then stop. Echinacea is traditionally taken in short runs rather than continuously, and if you find yourself wanting it every day, come and see us instead of buying another box.
Is there caffeine in it?
None. There is no tea leaf in the blend, only the two herbs.
Can children drink it?
Please see our doctor first, and bring the child if they are unwell. Dosing herbs in children is not a job for a label.
Can I drink it in pregnancy?
Ask our doctor before you start. Echinacea in pregnancy is not something to begin on a label’s word.
When should I see a doctor instead?
If you are breathless or your chest is tight, if a fever lasts more than three days or is very high, if you are coughing blood, if swallowing is difficult, if you are worse after a week rather than better, or if you have asthma or another long-term chest condition.
Can I add honey and lemon?
Yes, and they make the elderberry easier to drink, which matters more than it sounds when your throat is sore.
Is there something with stronger backing for immunity?
Yes. Vitamin C is permitted to say it contributes to the normal function of the immune system, which is more than any herb in this category can say. Ask our pharmacist and we will show you what we stock and what dose makes sense.
Where can I buy Elderberry & Echinacea Tea 20’s in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown above. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. Each bag brews up to three cups, so a box of 20 runs to around 60, and we will tell you what is on the shelf.
