The pigments that give berries their beautiful blue and red hues are also good for your health. Berries contain phytochemicals and flavonoids that may help to prevent some forms of cancer. Cranberries and blueberries contain a substance that may prevent bladder infections. Eating a diet rich in blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries and strawberries may help to reduce your risk of several types of cancers. Blueberries and raspberries also contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision.
Acai berries
What are they? Very dark, grape-like berries from the acai palm which grows in the South American rainforests.
Why choose them? “Acai berries are a good source of antioxidants, fibre and heart-healthy fats,” says nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, from America’s Mayo Clinic. She adds that weight-loss claims have not been proven.
How can you eat them? Dried, juice and pulp.
British berries
What are they? Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and blueberries.
Why choose them? Strawberries are high in vitamin C – just seven will give you the recommended daily allowance. Blackberries are a good source of vitamin E and raspberries provide vitamin C and folate. Some studies suggest that the high antioxidant levels in blueberries help fight ageing and reduce “bad” cholesterol.
A Japanese study showed that eating more blackcurrants increased blood flow under the eyes, reducing dark circles.
How can you eat them? Fresh or cooked.
Cranberries
What are they? Deep red berry grown in the US and Canada.
Why choose them? Many studies show that cranberries can help fight cystitis. A recent review of research found that drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry capsules can reduce the number of episodes of cystitis by a third.
Berries, a superfood
The fruit seems to work best in women who suffer frequent recurrences but it is not clear how much you need to take. According to Dr Amy B. Howell, research scientist at Rutgers University, New Jersey: “Research shows that cranberry juice keeps bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract wall. This effect works best when a certain level of cranberry juice is maintained in the system, so taking a serving of juice in the morning and one in the evening results in the best possible health benefits.”
How can you eat them? Dried, juice, capsules or cooked.
Elderberries
What are they? Clusters of small, dark fruit. Many different varieties grow all over the world.
Why choose them? Black elderberries are very high in anthocyanins. Research suggests that these may boost the production of cytokines, proteins which play a role in fighting infection. A number of studies have shown that black elderberry extract can improve flu symptoms and reduce the length of the illness by three to four days.
How to eat them? Cordials, preserves, extract.
Goji Berries
What are they? Orange-red berries grown in China and wild in parts of the UK.
Why choose them? Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are high in vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants. According to Dr Timothy Moynihan, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic: “Goji juice has been touted as a cure-all for conditions ranging from high blood pressure and cholesterol to gastrointestinal problems.
Although a few laboratory studies suggest that goji extracts might have some anti-cancer effects, there are no human trials to support the idea that goji juice can treat or prevent specific diseases — including cancer.” Goji juice may interact with some prescription drugs including Warfarin and some diabetes medications.
How can you eat them? Juice, dried.
Yang-Mei Berry or Yumberry
What are they? Cherry-shaped red fruit with a knobbly surface grown in China for over 5,000 years.
Why choose them? High in antioxidants and a source of vitamin C and some B vitamins. It has been used in Chinese medicine since 600AD as a cure for common complaints including headaches, stomach ailments and urinary infections.
How can you eat them? As juice.
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5 Responses to “Berry Benefits”
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January 1st, 2010 at 6:02 am
Still superfood related :
A SUPERFRUIT with three times the vitamin C of an orange and twice as much calcium as milk is now available in the UK.
The baobab fruit has been revered in Africa for thousands of years for its health benefits.
Now, thanks to an EU ruling, the fruit pulp can be imported for the first time to the UK and British manufacturers are starting to produce products containing it.
The fruit of the baobab tree looks like a velvety coconut on the outside and its white, powdery pulp looks like sherbet and has a cheese-like texture.
It can be blended with anything and is highly nutritious and packed with antioxidants, iron and potassium.
The shell is extremely difficult to crack so it will not be available to buy as a whole fruit in Britain but will instead be used as an ingredient.
The fruit powder has a unique, tangy taste described as “caramel pear with subtle overtones of grapefruit”.
The baobab, or upside-down tree as it is also known, is cherished by African villagers who believe its spirit protects them. Only specially trained climbers are allowed up the tree to pick the fruit.
Gus Le Breton, chief executive of PhytoTrade Africa, the not-for-profit trade association which is the only approved baobab pulp supplier in Europe, said: “The availability of baobab is timely with attention on South Africa with the World Cup taking place. Consumers can now get hold of it directly for the first time and we expect food manufacturers to roll out their own baobab lines from smoothies to cereal bars and confectionery as they take advantage of the booming market in healthy foods.”
Products already available include baobab jam and lemonade. In addition, baobab fruit powder can be bought for use in home cooking. It is thought that other products containing baobab will become available later this year, including drinks, cereals, ice cream, yogurt and health supplements.
March 16th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Cranberry juice may protect against cavities by preventing bacteria from clinging to teeth.
Drinking the juice is already known to help prevent and treat bladder problems, by stopping bacteria sticking to the bladder wall.
Now these anti-bacterial properties are being tested in dental care.
Our mouths are full of bacteria, which feed off the sugars in food. They then excrete acids that cause dental decay.
Laboratory studies have shown that cranberry juice acts like Teflon, preventing the bacteria sticking to teeth.
The American researchers also found compounds in the juice stopped bacteria building up and forming plaque, which is a cause of gum disease.
They are now planning to isolate the compounds that provide the protection. It’s hoped they could then be added to toothpaste or mouthwash directly.
August 24th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries contain high levels of compounds called polyphenolics, which help the brain to carry out essential ‘housekeeping’ functions.
Eating fruits with deep orange, red or blue pigments can even reverse the loss of brain power, according to a two month study of laboratory rats fed a berry-rich diet.
Shibu Poulose, who presented his research at the American Chemical Society on Monday, said: “The good news is that natural compounds called polyphenolics found in fruits, vegetables and nuts have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that may protect against age-associated decline.”
Polyphenolics in berries help certain cells called microglia, which clean up toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other symptoms of mental decline.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/7959937/Eat-berries-to-keep-the-brain-young.html
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Organic strawberries may cost more, but it’s a price worth paying, scientists say.
The fruit is both tastier and better for your health, research shows.
The most detailed study of its kind has found that they contain higher levels of anti-cancer nutrients than fruit sprayed with chemical pesticides.
Naturally-produced strawberries also have a longer shelf life and a richer, more fruity flavour, according to the researchers.
Their findings add to a growing body of evidence that organic food is healthier than conventional fruit and vegetables.
Dr John Reganold, who led the study at Washington State University in the U.S., said: ‘We show that you can have high quality, healthy produce, without resorting to an arsenal of pesticides.’
Researchers analysed the taste, nutrition and quality of three strawberry varieties growing on 13 organic and 13 conventional farms in California, as well as 31 chemical and biological properties of the soil where they were grown.
The organic fruit had ‘ significantly higher’ levels of antioxidants – nutrients that mop up potentially dangerous and cancer-causing ‘free radicals’ in the body.
They also last longer and have ‘more strawberry in the strawberry’, Dr Reganold reports in the journal PLoS One, published by the Public Library of Science.
In blind taste tests, volunteers said they found organic strawberries sweeter and more flavoursome. And when they saw the fruit, they judged the strawberries from the organic farms to have a better colour.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1308220/The-berry-healthiest-How-organic-strawberries-nutritious.html
September 4th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Drinking blackcurrant juice can help prevent aches and strains during exercise, a new study shows.
In tests, volunteers who took an extract of the “superfruit” in a pill form before and after exercise suffered less muscle damage and inflammation.
Researchers say compounds called flavonoids in the berries protect the body from the stresses of working out.
The experiment, led by Dr Roger Hurst at New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research, monitored the impact of blackcurrant extract on 10 untrained volunteers.
Those who took the blackcurrant pill before and after daily moderate exercise had fewer signs of “oxidative stress” and muscle damage. Their bodies also had fewer signs of inflammation.
Each pill contained the equivalent of one or two ounces of berries and was taken daily for three weeks before and after exercise.
‘In our research we chose a group of 10 healthy everyday people with a wide age range who exercised regularly and measured biochemical indicators to assess the effect of taking the blackcurrant extract capsules before and after exercise,’ he said.
Past studies have shown that compounds in blackcurrants reduced inflammation in muscles caused by typing repetitively on a computer keyboard.
The new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative Comparative Physiology, did not identify the compounds that help the body recover from exercise.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1308714/Blackcurrant-juice-prevent-aches-pains-exercise.html#ixzz0yaiKAUFw