THIRST AID KIT

Opt out of the office coffee run to put boardroom-induced anxiety on ice

You’ve likely heard it said that your weekend G&T is medicinal – usually by the guy already on his fifth glass. Winston Churchill even declared that, “The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.” He was, of course, referring to tonic water’s malariafighting properties, rather than the tipple’s ability to ameliorate an awkward Sunday lunch with the in-laws. However, new research suggests mixing an elderberryinfused G with your T could protect you against seasonal illness.

Recent reports from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, found that the quercetin and anthocyanins in elderberries reduce cold duration by two days, as well as significantly curbing the severity of symptoms. Subjects who took an extract of the fruit in supplement form recovered faster than those who popped a placebo. This builds on previous animal studies which show that concentrated elderberry juice increases the level of natural flu-fighting antibodies and can even prevent viral infections from taking hold in the first place.

Now, naturally a tart glass of elderberry juice would be your most expedient prescription. But, when faced with a deadly office epidemic, a splash of the hard stuff does certainly seem to stiffen one’s resolve. Make ours a double.