Berry Good for you

According to recent research, berries have the potential to provide health benefits for numerous conditions.  These include preventing the development and progression of cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as reducing the risk of diabetic retinopathy (eye disease in people with diabetes), fibrocystic disease, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in Australia) as well as preventing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

STRAWBERRIES:

Strawberries are the most popular berry fruit in the world.  Two separate studies presented at the 2003 American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference have found that in addition to being low in fat and calories, strawberries are naturally high in fibre, vitamin C, folate, potassium and antioxidants.  They are rich in phenols, which are potent antioxidants that help make them protective against heart disease and cancer.

In one study, strawberries topped a list of eight foods most linked to lower rates of cancer deaths among a group of over 1,000 elderly people.  Those eating the most strawberries were three times less likely to develop cancer compared to those eating few or no strawberries. 

Research supports the importance of including strawberries as part of a heart healthy diet.  When one serve of strawberries were eaten daily, systolic blood pressure was reduced.  The folate in strawberries reduces the levels of the amino acid, homocysteine, which may block arteries. Strawberries have also been shown to enhance memory function and aid in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

BLUEBERRIES:

Blueberries are rich in nutrients and delicious to eat as well as being very low in kilojoules.  Recently researchers at Tufts University analyzed 60 fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant capability.  Blueberries were rated high in their capacity to destroy free radicals.  Like strawberries they may lower the risk of macular degeneration.   

Researchers have found that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of ageing animals, making them mentally equivalent to much younger ones. 

Blueberries also contain the same compound that helps prevent urinary tract infections that is found in cranberries.

CRANBERRIES:

Indigenous people have used cranberry preparations to treat urinary tract infections (UTI’s) and other illnesses for centuries.  Research has supported the benefits of cranberries.  A placebo controlled study in 1994 found that women who were given cranberry juice had less than half the number of urinary tract infections compared to the control group who received a placebo imitation “cranberry” drink.

So how does cranberry juice help prevent urinary tract infections.  Studies have shown that cranberries contain a natural antibiotic substance that makes the bladder walls inhospitable to the organisms responsible for UTI’s.  This prevents the bacteria from forming colonies; instead they are washed out of the body in the urine.

Many urologists and gynaecologists now advise patients who suffer recurrent or chronic bladder infections to drink a couple of glasses of cranberry juice daily as a preventative measure. 

Cranberries provide fibre, along with vitamin C and bioflavonoids which are plant pigments that help counter the damage of unstable molecules that are formed when oxygen is used by the body.

Delegates at the 2002 American Chemical Society meeting and Experimental Biology Conference were also informed that cranberries act as a natural probiotic, supporting the health promoting bacteria that grow in the human gastrointestinal tract and killing off bacteria that promote infections and food borne illnesses. 

Cranberries may also reduce the risk of gum disease, stomach ulcers and cancers.  There has been much interest in the possibility that cranberry juice might promote cardiovascular health.  In one study it was found that HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) appeared to significantly increase by an average of 10% in subjects who consumed three servings of juice a day. 

In comparison to many commonly consumed fruits, cranberries contain high levels of polyphenols which are strong antioxidants and therefore good for heart health.

BLACKBERRIES:

Blackberries are rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant.  Vitamin C is required for the body’s normal function and the antioxidant polyphenols in blackcurrants (particularly anthocyanins) may help in maintaining cardiovascular health, ageing and brain health, urinary tract health and healthy vision.

RASPBERRIES:

Raspberries contain the antioxidant, ellagic acid, which neutralizes free radicals.  The anthocyanins in raspberries, which give the fruit its bright red colour, also give the berries their unique antioxidant properties.  Raspberries possess almost 50% higher antioxidant activity than strawberries.  Raspberries are also an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C.