This article was written by Take The Magic Step™ nutritional staff writer Janett Walter, who has a degree in nutritional science from the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena, Germany.

Historical Background of Today’s Cultivated Berries

Botanical Plant Facts

Phytochemicals of Berries and their Health Benefits

Nutritional Facts of Berries

Shopping Tips

References

Imagine a typical grocery shopping experience: We walk into the store and there it is - the produce section. Now, some of us will walk straight by without even risking a glance. The rest of us start looking around, laying eyes on large varieties of healthy, colorful and oh-so-sweet fruits. Now the dilemma begins: with so many options, what should we put in our shopping cart? After giving it some thought, we eventually decide to grab what we know and like. We choose the same items again and again. Year-round availability, due to foods being shipped in from all over the world, makes this very easy and convenient. But do we know the key nutrients that make them so healthy? Most likely not. This series of articles will deal with our favorite fruits. We would like to explore them with you and give you deeper insight into the facts about them.

Fruits are not only bursting with nutrients such as vitamins and minerals; they also are packed with phytochemicals. The word “phyto” is of Greek heritage, and means “plant.” Hence, phytochemicals may be called plant chemicals as well. They can be described as bioactive non-nutrient plant compounds. Research over the years has shown that phytochemicals perform outstanding actions in our body. They have been linked to significantly reducing the risk of many major chronic diseases. For that reason, the main goal of this series will be to show you which phytochemicals and which nutrients are in our selected fruits, and how these compounds can benefit your health. We also will try to send you on your way to the grocery store with not only knowledge about the health benefits the fruits exert, but also with tips about how to choose the best quality when you go shopping.

We hope that at the end of our series we will have made fruits sound so irresistible and tempting to you that you will not only eat more fruits than ever before, but also give the ones you might not have eaten before a try. Sit down and enjoy with us the sweet secrets of fruits.

Summer Time is Berry Time

Spring and summer mean berries ripening in gardens all over the world. Therefore we will start our series with those colorful, healthy and tasty summer delights. Strawberries (Fragaria genus), raspberries (Rubus genus), blackberries (Rubus genus), blueberries (Vaccinium genus) and black currants (Ribes genus) are the ones we have selected. Only two of the berries mentioned are actually berries. Later in this article we will tell you why this is, and which berries are the real deal.

Historical Background of Today’s Cultivated Berries

Let’s start with the historical journey that berries have undergone before they became so widely known and loved as they are today.

Strawberries⁽¹⁾ were already known to the ancient Greek and Romans, but the then-tiny berries didn’t have a real place in society at that time. The ancient Greeks had such a strong dislike against any red fruit that pregnant women were told that the red fruits had to be avoided at all times, so that they wouldn’t bear a child with a “strawberry” birthmark. This fear and dislike changed quickly in the Middle Ages. At that time strawberries were used in elixirs as cures against basically everything. But it took until the 19^th century for strawberries to establish themselves in European markets. Fascinatingly, strawberries were already cultivated and traded in South America a long, long time before the Spanish explorers even arrived⁽²⁾. A mystery in itself is the name⁽¹⁾ “strawberry.” It has been suggested by many researchers that the name developed out of the straw that was used to cover the berries, or that it is derived from “strewberry,” which refers to the berries being strewn, or scattered, among leaves.

Raspberries^(3,4) initially grew wild all over Europe, and also have been cultivated there for centuries. The red raspberries we know today once were a bush native to Turkey and discovered on Mount Ida in that country. Around 350 B.C. the Greeks started harvesting raspberries for food and medical purposes. With the spread of the Roman Empire came raspberries’ expansion and cultivation throughout Europe. In 1737 the raspberry had already reached American colonies, and the first plant nurseries had been started by William Prince. Raspberry teas have a long history of being used by pregnant women⁽⁵⁾to regulate labor pains. A study published in 1941 confirmed that its use relaxes the uterus. The name “raspberry” is said to be derived from either its rasping taste or from the Anglo-Saxon word “resp,” which means shoot or sucker.

Blackberries^(4,6) were already gathered in their wild form by the Greeks approximately 2,000 years ago. During the 16^th century, Europeans used the leaves and fruit for medical purposes. They were used to stop diarrhea and to relieve mouth ailments. During the 19^th and 20^th centuries, cultivation started, and settlers brought the berries to America. But interestingly, blackberries weren’t only a source of food. They also served a functional purpose: fully grown, they provided excellent hedges with sharp thorns that kept marauders out. (That must be the tastiest fence ever.)

Blueberries⁽⁷⁾ are one of the few fruits that have their origin in North America. Native American tribes used the plants, roots and the berries themselves in their medicine. Tea made from the leaves was said to be good for the blood. Blueberry juice was used to help fight colds and also as dye. Blueberries were part of their everyday diet and were added to almost everything. When the first settlers came to America, the Native Americans introduced them to blueberries, and they have been used as an ingredient in foods or simply eaten plain ever since.

Last but not least are black currants, which are not very popular in America, but very common in Europe. Their origin is in Northern Asia and Europe. Chinese folk medicine has incorporated black currants for over 1,000 years⁽⁸⁾. They used it as a diuretic, diaphoretic and febrifuge⁽⁹⁾. The naming of black currants took place in the 16^th century, and was derived from its resemblance to dried currants of Greece, which are raisins made from small seedless grapes⁽¹⁰⁾.

Botanical Plant Facts

Before we talk in detail about the beneficial ingredients berries possess, let’s discuss the botanical characteristics of berries. Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries belong to the plant family Rosaceae, blueberries belong to theEricaceae family and black currants belong to the Grossulariaceae family. In botanical terms (by the type of fruit), blueberries and black currants are the only real berries of the bunch. Truth is, the strawberry plant fruits are the little light brown achenes (very small fruits with one seed inside) that are all over the flesh-like dots. The red tasty flesh is actually the enlarged receptacle of the flower. The raspberry and blackberry are called aggregate fruits. The individual segments or parts of the fruits are drupelets, which are little fruits that have a seed inside. Regardless of which are “real berries,” they all incorporate fantastic compounds that can help you be healthier throughout your life.

Phytochemicals of Berries and their Health Benefits

The substances that give berries their beautiful and bright red, purple, blue and black colors are called anthocyanins⁽¹¹⁾. The word is derived from the Greekanthos (flower) and kyanos (blue)⁽¹²⁾. Chemically they are a subclass of flavonoids, which are a subclass of polyphenols⁽¹³⁾. These phytochemicals not only give color to the berries, but they are most importantly responsible for all of the great health benefits berries have to offer.

Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants⁽¹¹⁾. Eating food that contain antho- cyanins improves the overall antioxidant defense status of human plasma⁽¹⁴⁾. They also are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic agents, as well as cardioprotective⁽¹⁵⁾ activities in our body.

But what exactly do antioxidants⁽¹⁵⁾ do in our body? We hear so often how good they are, but what makes them so great? Antioxidants protect our body from so-called free radicals by scavenging them. Those free radicals cause oxidative stress. They damage the cell itself, as well as lipids, proteins and our DNA (genotoxic) within the cell. This is a source for many degenerative diseases, including cancer.

Berry antioxidants possess these anti-cancer effects^(16,17). They not only act as inhibitors of cancer initiation, but they also can stop the further progression of cancer during its different stages. On top of that, animal studies have shown that this happens with not only one kind of cancer, but that it occurs at several sites of the body. How exactly the berry phytochemicals work during the stages of carcinogenesis has yet to be determined⁽¹⁶⁾.

Berries differ in their antioxidant concentrations. One way to measure this is the FRAP-Test (ferric-reducing ability of plasma). The following table gives you an overview of measured antioxidant values in berries. These results apply to cultivated berries that you can purchase in a store or grow yourself:

Total antioxidant concentrations of berries (adapted from Halvorsen et al.⁽¹⁸⁾)

Clearly the highest antioxidants concentration was demonstrated for black currants. This result doesn’t only apply to our little berry selection. Black currants are, in general, fruits with one of the highest antioxidant levels. Without a doubt this is a superfruit that deserves more attention, and definitely should not be missing in your diet.

Another incredible facet of berries is their impact on our brain. There are studies that suggest that blueberries may be beneficial when it comes to slowing the aging process of the brain. These findings indicate that cognitive deficiency that comes with aging and occurs even in the absence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s may be prevented because of directly enhancing neuronal signaling⁽¹⁹⁾. Berries simply may keep your mind sharp.

The spectrum of health benefits provided by berries can be broadened even more. They significantly impact human pathogens in our body. In particular, strawberries and raspberries have been found to be very valuable in fighting infections, thanks to a substance class known as tannins. Bacteria’s of theSalmonella, Staphylococcus, Helicobacter and Bacillus species are especially sensitive to the berry’s tannins. Furthermore, the growth of Escherichia,Clostridium and Campylobacter species is suppressed⁽²⁰⁾. All of these bacteria are pathogenic and produce very harmful toxins. After entering the body through food or drinks they cause severe symptoms,⁽²¹⁾ such as vomiting or diarrhea. Therefore, berries are excellent fruits for the gut’s well-being and for balancing the gut microflora⁽²¹⁾.

But that is not the only effect berry phytochemicals have on the gastrointestinal system. The anthocyanins inhibit starch degradation⁽²²⁾, which results in lowered blood glucose levels after eating a meal. With this effect, it is possible to help control non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. In fact there are studies that claim that the polyphenolic extracts are just as potent as synthetic inhibitors.

What is even better than eating one kind of the berry? Eating several berries combined. Studies have shown that combinations of berries⁽¹¹⁾, in particular, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and others such as bilberry, elderberry and cranberry, create a much higher antioxidant, antiangiogenic (hinders tumors or varicose veins in developing new blood vessels, which are essential for their growth) and antibacterial strength than each of the berries by itself.

The good news is that 100 grams of berries can contain up to 500 milligrams of those powerful anthocyanins⁽²³⁾. So they are just full of these great phytochemicals with so much potential. Unfortunately, the average American consumes only approximately 12.5 mg of anthocyanins⁽¹²⁾ daily. So there is clearly a huge potential for health benefits by just incorporating some berries per day into your diet.

Nutritional Facts of Berries

As you can see in our nutritional facts⁽²⁴⁾ table, berries are low in calories and contain significant amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins C, K and folate, as well as magnesium, zinc and iron. These values are per one cup of fruit.

Shopping Tips

How do you determine whether berries are fresh at the grocery store or market? Here are a few shopping tips that you might find helpful:

All berries should be firm, plump and rich in color. They should never be soft. Also watch out for mold. Check the fruits on the bottom of the box, because those are usually the ones that get moldy first. Blueberries should always move inside the box when shaken. If there is little movement and they are sticking together, don’t buy them. Get strawberries only if their caps are still attached to them. The containers of the berries should not show signs of staining, because this means the fruits might have been squeezed or damaged at one point. In general, berries stay fresh for only a few days and should be eaten or frozen within a couple days of purchase.

Berries are in season all summer long. A good time to buy strawberries is May through July; for blueberries it’s the whole summer; for raspberries it’s midsummer; and for blackberries it’s late summer.

Grow Berries Yourself

Store-bought berries are quite expensive, and not everybody can afford them on a regular basis. But here is my solution for inexpensive berries: grow them yourself. Why not replace regular bushes around the house with raspberry, blackberry or blackcurrant bushes? They look great, and your kids can eat the berries right off the bush. What a great replacement for candy bars! Plus you don’t have to worry about pesticides or other toxins used in conventional farming today.

If you don’t have a garden, grow strawberries in pots on your balcony. I have grown strawberries in flower pots on my patio with much success. All they need is sun and water. Grow enough to freeze a few berries for the winter, and you can enjoy them all year long.

Another aspect of buying berries or other fruits from big retailers is the enormous logistical effort and time that is necessary for bringing all the fruits to you year-round. If you purchase fruits and vegetables check out the offers at markets from local farmers, preferably organic farmers. Stick with seasonal fruits. The fruits are fresh and you support the local businesses in your area. Also keep in mind that you help protect the environment in doing this, because it takes much less energy and resources to bring these fruits to you.

To summarize the benefits of berries: The phytochemicals in berries can help fight cancer, protect your body from free radicals, keep your mind sharp, slow aging, balance the gut microflora, and protect your cardiovascular system. So clearly the evidence is overwhelmingly significant. You have to ask yourself: Can I really afford not to eat berries on a regular basis? If you want to do something positive for yourself, grab a big handful of mixed berries every day. Your body will appreciate those tasty little helpers as an addition to a well-balanced diet in fighting daily environmental pollution and stress.

References:

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(4) Purdue University – Horticulture & Landscape Architecture - Brambles, Hort 414, Lecture Outline: Raspberries, Blackberries.www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/courses/hort414/Bramblelecture.html, retrieved June 2007.

(5) Traditional Food, Health and Nutrition: Raspberry.www.kstrom.net/isk/food/rasptrib.html, retrieved June 2007.

(6) Rieger M, University of Georgia: Blackberries and Raspberries (Rubus spp.). www.uga.edu/fruit/rubus.html, retrieved June 2007.

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(9) Drug Information Online: Black Currant. www.drugs.com/npp/black-currant.html, retrieved June 2007.

(10) California Rare Fruit Growers: Currants–Ribes ssp.www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/currants.html, retrieved June 2007.

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(16) Duthie SJ: Review: Berry phytochemicals, genomic stability and cancer: Evidence for chemoprotection at several stages in the carcinogenic process. Molecular Nutritional Food Research 2007;51:665-674.

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© Janett Walter and Take The Magic Step™