Berries for a younger, healthier you

They say dynamite comes in small packages. Well, berries are
no exception.
These tantalising fruits may be small in size, but they’re big in
taste and health benefits.
Whether you like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or
raspberries, you can rest assured that all the different kinds of
berries are packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants. Plus, they’re low in kilojoules.
Unfortunately, berries can be expensive. Our advice?
Plant your own, and freeze your summer crop to enjoy your
favourite berries right throughout the year . . .
History
Humans have consumed berries for centuries. In fact, research
published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in
2008 reveals that a variety of wild berries, including serviceberry,
highbush cranberry, chokeberry and silver buffaloberry, were
traditionally used by native North Americans – both medicinally
and as a food source.
Eaten fresh or dried, berries were a tradition in the diets of these
tribal communities, where they were recognised for their role in
promoting health and protection against disease.
According to a review article by Dhiraj Vattem and co-workers
from the University of Massachusetts, published in the Asia
Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2005, the juice of the
cranberry, for instance, was used by populations in North
America as a folk remedy to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs).
To this day, cranberries are still used to treat and prevent UTIs.
Berries were also used medicinally in parts of South America.
Research done by the University of Illinois in 2010 revealed that
Aristotelia chilensis, a small, edible purple-black berry grown in
central and southern Chile and western Argentina, was used in
folk medicine to treat sore throats, kidney pains, ulcers, fever,
haemorrhoids, inflammation, diarrhoea, lesions, migraines and
scars.
Today, berry extracts and antioxidants can be found in thousands
of alternative remedies, supplements and medications.
Health benefits
Berries are an important dietary source of fibre as well as
vitamins (especially vitamin C) and minerals (including folic acid
and potassium) – all of which are essential to human
functioning.
Berries are also a superb source of phytochemicals such as
anthocyanins, flavonols and polyphenols. These powerful
antioxidants found in the berries’ colour pigments are known for
their potential to protect against heart disease, cancer,
osteoporosis and ageing.
It’s been noted that berries seem to play an important anti-
inflammatory role in the body, which helps to protect it against
chronic disease.
Many nutritionists regard blueberries, acai berries and goji
berries as “superfoods”.
How to include berries in your diet
- Pop a few berries, fresh or dried, into a smoothie, or add some
to your favourite breakfast cereal for an antioxidant boost, extra
fibre and a kick of flavour.
- Sprinkle your favourite berries over a salad for some colour and
a hint of sweetness.
- Can’t get yourself to drink enough water? Turn tap water into a
delightful drink by adding a squeeze of lemon and a few berries
for flavour.
- Cut overly sugary, fatty desserts from your diet and indulge in
berries with vanilla yoghurt instead.
- Blitz a handful or two of berries, a dash of ice-cold water, and a
teaspoon of balsamic vinegar in a blender and enjoy over ice
cream.
Tip: The darker and more colourful the berries, the healthier they
are. So, add the dark berries to your shopping basket and eat
them as fresh as possible.