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Nutrition/Supplements

Elderberry Capsules with Zinc and Vitamin C Review

BioSchwartz Elderberry Capsules vs Viva Naturals: one capsule a day or two, and which formula is worth the extra ingredients.

Reviewed by

Doug B

I have provided hundreds of product reviews on food, sports related products and lifestyle brands

BioSchwartz Elderberry Capsules are worth buying if you want elderberry, zinc and vitamin C in one daily pill instead of three separate bottles. One capsule a day, 60 count, a two month supply. Viva Naturals adds D3 and ginger but costs more and takes two capsules. Buy either. I like both.

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Watch Our Review
Macro close-up of an elderberry capsule showing purple berry extract and white zinc particles inside

How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.

Quick Verdict

Both bottles hold 60 capsules, but BioSchwartz is one a day and Viva Naturals is two, so one is a two month supply and the other is one. I’ve taken both of these and found them effective for my cold-season routine. BioSchwartz delivers the core trio in one capsule; Viva Naturals adds D3 and ginger but costs more and requires two capsules daily.

Buy if you:

  • Reach for elderberry when you’re feeling down under the weather
  • Already add zinc and vitamin C separately and want them in one package
  • Want a one-per-day capsule and a 60 day supply from one bottle
  • Keep an immune bottle in the cabinet for cold season
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Elderberry500mg sambucus nigra per capsule
Zinc7mg
Vitamin C120mg
Count60 veggie capsules
Serving1 capsule per day (2 month supply)

Three Bottles Became One

Every time a cold started coming on, I’d pull three bottles off the shelf, elderberry, zinc, vitamin C, open all three, and then put all three back. That’s when I started looking for a single capsule that did the same job. These BioSchwartz Elderberry Capsules on Amazon are exactly that: 500mg elderberry, 7mg zinc, 120mg vitamin C, one pill.

500mg of sambucus elderberry, 7mg zinc, 120mg vitamin C. One capsule. That’s the whole thing.

One Capsule a Day vs Two

Both bottles hold 60 capsules, but they don’t last the same amount of time. The serving size is only one capsule for the BioSchwartz and two capsules for the Viva Naturals. So the same count on the label gives you a 60 day supply on one and 30 servings on the other.

That matters more than people think when they’re comparing a zinc capsule vitamin product on a shelf. You’re not comparing bottle to bottle, you’re comparing days. I’m pretty bad at remembering a second dose later in the day, so a one-per-day capsule just works better for how I actually take things.

The capsules themselves are veggie caps and small enough that I don’t think about swallowing them. No aftertaste I noticed either way.

Where Viva Naturals Pulls Ahead

Viva Naturals adds D3 and ginger, two ingredients BioSchwartz skips entirely. If you’re deficient in vitamin D or want ginger’s anti-nausea angle when you’re sick, that matters. BioSchwartz just doesn’t have an answer for either.

But Viva Naturals is a little more expensive, and you’re burning through two capsules per serving to get there. So the extra ingredients aren’t free in either sense. If you already take vitamin D separately, like a lot of people in my age bracket do, that advantage shrinks fast.

That’s the real fork in the road here. Simple and cheap per day, or a fuller formula that costs more and burns through twice as many capsules. For most people, BioSchwartz wins on those terms, unless D3 and ginger are actually gaps in your routine, Viva Naturals is asking you to pay more for ingredients you may not need.

BioSchwartzViva Naturals
Core trioYesYes
ExtrasNoneD3 + ginger
Serving1 capsule2 capsules

Comparison drawn from what I discussed in the video.

Elderberry Isn’t a Daily Habit for Me

I don’t take this every day of the year, and I think that’s where buyers get it wrong. I reach for elderberry when I’m feeling down under the weather, normally when I’ve got a cold coming on. The label calls it a two month supply, but that assumes you’re taking it daily. Used the way I use it, a bottle sits in the cabinet a lot longer.

The other thing worth knowing is the price on this one moves around quite a bit. It’s a touch under its usual level right now, but it’s been considerably cheaper at points, so I’d check today’s price on Amazon rather than assume. More than 3,000 of these moved in the past month, so it’s not some obscure bottle nobody’s tried.

Who I’d Hand This To

If you’re already buying elderberry, zinc and vitamin C separately, this is the one to consolidate into. One bottle, one capsule, 60 days. That’s who it’s for.

Elderberry supplement bottle on a kitchen counter with fresh berries and morning light in background

If you want a fuller formula and don’t mind the two-capsule routine, go Viva Naturals instead. And if you already take a multivitamin loaded with zinc and vitamin C for adults, check your labels before you stack another one on top. That’s the kind of thing I look at before I add anything to my own routine.

Pros

  • Elderberry, zinc and vitamin C in one package instead of three bottles
  • One capsule per day, so 60 capsules is a full 60 day supply
  • Less expensive than the Viva Naturals option
  • Veggie capsules, easy to swallow

Cons

  • No D3 and no ginger, which the Viva Naturals formula has
  • Simpler formula overall if you want everything in one shot
  • Price swings a lot, so timing matters more than it should

Frequently Asked Questions

Can kids take these elderberry capsules?

The label says the formula is designed for men, women and children. That said, it’s a capsule, not a gummy or syrup, so swallowing is the practical limit for younger kids. Ask your pediatrician before giving any supplement to a child.

Does it need to be taken with food?

Zinc on an empty stomach bothers some people, so I take mine with a meal. There’s nothing on the label requiring it. If you’ve had stomach issues with zinc supplements before, food is the easy fix.

How should I store the bottle?

Cool, dry cabinet, away from the stove and out of direct light. Standard supplement storage. Keep the desiccant packet in the bottle until it’s empty.

Is there anything in here besides the active ingredients?

The label lists non-GMO ingredients with no fillers or binders. The capsule itself is a veggie cap. Always read the current label on the bottle you receive, since formulas do get updated.

Get it now

Elderberry Capsules

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πŸ›οΈ BioSchwartz Elderberry Immune Support: check price on Amazon β†’

πŸ›οΈ Viva Naturals Elderberry Immune Support: check price on Amazon β†’

About the reviewer

Doug B

I have provided hundreds of product reviews on food, sports related products and lifestyle brands

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