Load up on these sweet, nutritious
fruits now in season and reap
the health benefits
all year long
Who doesn’t love raspberries,
blueberries, blackberries, and
strawberries? And as luck
would have it, not only are berries juicy and
delicious, they’re also supergood for you. In
fact, research exalts berries as nutritional superstars. When the USDA published its list of
the richest antioxidant foods (tested were
fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, nuts, and
spices), wild blueberries rocked the charts at
the top spot, with cultivated blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries all placing in the top 20 (Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004, vol. 52,
no. 12). Oh, and did we mention they pack
only 66 to 80 calories a cup! Berries, anyone?
Read on for more details on why it’s such
a sweet idea to fill up on this summer harvest
crop.
pigments that make blueberries blue and
raspberries red, significantly reduce blood
pressure and may have anti-inflammatory
properties (Journal of Biomedicine and
Biotechnology, 2004, no. 5).
2. Better vision. Too many hours at the
computer or reading under poor light? Research indicates that anthocyanins may also
improve vision, especially night vision and
eyestrain symptoms (Survey of Ophthalmology, 2004, vol. 49, no. 1). “All berries contain
a healthy dose of anthocyanins,” notes Howell, “so it’s most important to consume them
daily, no matter what type of berry.”
1. Heart health. Eating blueberries enhances blood flow by increasing artery flexibility, according to Amy B. Howell, PhD, an
associate research scientist at Rutgers University. Researchers also believe that fruits
and vegetables rich in anthocyanins, the plant
GO ORGANIC
According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit
environmental research organization, all conventionally grown
berries rank among the highest pesticide-residue crops.
Whenever possible, consider buying organic berries.
3. Bacterial protection. Although urinary tract infections (UTIs) can have a genetic component, one study showed that
drinking any kind of berry juice correlated to
a decreased risk of UTI recurrence (
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003, vol. 77,
no. 3). Cranberries in particular “contain a
special type of proanthocyanidin that prevents bacteria from sticking to the walls of
the urinary tract,” says Howell. “If bacteria
cannot stick to the bladder wall, they cannot
grow and cause infection.” >
