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The incredible health properties of blueberries, black currants, raspberries and blackberries

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Tasty, attractive, and healthy: berries are now available year-round, and every supermarket offers them to a consumer audience that grows daily. And more and more small producers are also opening their farms to sell blueberries, blackberries and raspberries straight from the field, freshly picked.

blackberries, raspberries and blueberries

Berries can be found all year round and are packed with taste and health benefits.

Summary

BERRIES: WHAT ARE THEY?

In large retail outlets we can regularly find on the shelves the four protagonists of the category: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and red currants. These mouth-watering berries are offered in a variety of packages and formats (from 100g to 500g, in small baskets or convenient small glasses or capacious buckets) and often the choice also includes a certified organic product or the premium quality line.

To these can be added other berries that are more local such as white currants, gooseberries and blackcurrants, or that are more seasonal such as kiwiberry and wild strawberries. Recently, exotic fruits are also making their way into the berry assortment, such as the alchechengi, which is notable for its bright orange colour.

*The main berries (blueberry, raspberries, blackberries and currants) are now available 12 months a year.*

Some berries have a distribution linked to local customs such as the red blueberry or the wild blueberry . Others are grown and sold mainly for processed consumption (goji berries and aronia), while some berries are gaining in popularity that are unique in taste and appearance but only suitable for production for personal use, in particular hybrids made from crosses of other berries such as loganberry, boysenberry, tayberry and various others (for a complete list of berries see the Small Fruits Dictionary).

On closer inspection, therefore, none of these fruits actually come from the forests: they are crops grown on production farms and only rarely in the shops will we find berries that grow spontaneously, without being specially cultivated.

An example of a wild forest fruit that you can buy during the summer season is the wildblueberry , for which the Emilia-Romagna region has also created the protection label "Bilberry of the Apennines of Modena". To enjoy it freshly picked, you have to go to the production areas around Fanano and Sestola (Modena) in July or August.

THE SPREAD OF BERRIES

The common berry experience often includes a trip to the mountains with a search for raspberries, blueberries and blackberries near trails, in trees or in large expanses of mountain meadows.

In particular the blueberries found in the mountains are a species that has been widespread for centuries in various parts of the world: in Italy it is found in the mountainous areas of the Alps and Apennines, where it finds an ideal habitat especially in soils with higher acidity.

However, the blueberry that we find in supermarkets every day is not the wild blueberry (with the botanical name Vaccinum myrtillus) that grows wild in our forests. Instead, it is the giant Americanblueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum), which was obtained over 110 years ago by an American grower, Elizabeth Coleman White, through years of cross-breeding between different types of wild blueberries found in the mountains of New Jersey.

Giant Cranberry (Vaccinum corymbosum)

From the United States, it spread about 40 years ago to Europe and is now grown all over the world, from China (the world's largest producer) to South America (Peru and Chile are the largest producers in the southern hemisphere) and Africa (particularly South Africa and Zimbabwe).

Because the global spread is so wide in terms of both latitude and geography, blueberries is available for 12 months of the year. Those who prefer national origin will find Italians blueberries from February to September, from various parts of the peninsula, from Sicily to Trentino, from Piedmont to Veneto.

Instead, the blackberries and raspberries we buy in the supermarket are the result of continuous improvements in the same type of fruit that still grow wild in the woods. Over the years, research has selected varieties that are increasingly sweet, tasty, hardy and large, thanks to long and patient work of crosses made naturally with the same techniques that have determined the improvement of agriculture over the past millennia.

*Photo by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels.com*

blackberries and raspberries are also available year-round from different sources. Domestic production, although it can cover almost all 12 months, is not sufficient to meet market demands and therefore must be supplemented with raspberries imported from Spain and Morocco and blackberries from Spain and Mexico.

BERRIES IN COOKING: RECIPES

The most frequent use for berries is in the decoration of cakes and desserts: from fruit tart with a mix of currants, raspberries and blueberries to vanilla ice cream decorated with blueberries and raspberries.

But the uses are not limited to decoration. Raspberries and redcurrants, with their strong taste in a delicate texture and unique mix of sweet and sour, give the best pastry recipes an irreplaceable touch.

There are many recipes that highlight blueberriesfor its crunchy texture and aromatic, sweet taste. One of the factors behind the worldwide success of blueberries is its versatility : for breakfast in pancakes, as a fresh snack on the fly, for lunch in a fruit salad, for a snack in a refreshing smoothie or in the evening in a soft muffin, always atretailer convenience and health.

Dozens of scientific researches in recent years are demonstrating the properties of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and currants, regular consumption of which contributes to consumer health and well-being.

THE PROPERTIES OF BERRIES

It is precisely the health benefits that are convincing more and more consumers to buy berries on a regular basis. Their power is still underestimated, as they contain ingredients that can dramatically improve human health, from improved skin quality and mood to reduced severity of symptoms from degenerative conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Berries provide nutrients that, in their most natural form, strengthen our bodies and our defence mechanisms. Strawberries, for example, are richer in vitamin C than citrus fruits.

Berries are not only rich in vitamin C, but also in various other phytochemicals (beneficial compounds). Anthocyanins, antioxidants and flavonoids in particular are known for their effects on the human body. These phytochemicals require activation by others, so the presence of several phytochemicals is more beneficial to human health.

Berries contain a greater diversity of phytochemicals than other fruits, and the intensity of their colour is a clear indicator of the high concentration of phytochemicals.

THE PROPERTIES OF BLUEBERRIES

In particular the blueberries contain antioxidants that can be beneficial to health. Antioxidants help neutralise free radicals, which are unstable molecules linked to the development of a range of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's.

Anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid are major contributors to theantioxidant activity of blueberries. In addition to their antioxidant activity, fresh blueberries are a good source of vitamin C and manganese.

For all these reasons, blueberry is the most recommended fruit by dietitians in the United States, with 86% of professionals surveyed in 2019 recommending it frequently or always.

THE PROPERTIES OF RASPBERRIES

Raspberries are also a rich source of health benefits: a 100g portion contains 50% of the daily requirement of vitamin C and a third of the daily requirement of fibre. They are a source of antioxidants that are essential in fighting ageing, reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Raspberries help counteract oxidative stress, which is essentially an imbalance between the production of cell-damaging free radicals and the body's ability to fight their harmful effects. Since oxidative stress is a causative factor in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, raspberries are a supportive food for the brain.

Flavonoids in berries have also been shown to help improve coordination, memory and mood. And berries help the general 'cleansing' of the brain by removing toxic proteins linked to brain dysfunction.

BLACKCURRANT PROPERTIES

Blackcurrants are also full of antioxidants, including anthocyanins. Anthocyanins give blackcurrants their characteristic dark colour and fight free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress and cellular damage. Blackcurrants have one of the highest antioxidant values for fruit, making them effective in treating or preventing a range of health problems.

Some of the health benefits of blackcurrants include: strengthening the immune system (due to the antioxidant content), reducing inflammation, as well as improving symptoms of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (due to the linoleic acid present), preventing and treating glaucoma, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, better managing type 2 diabetes (due to the manganese content), reducing the risk of cancer.

THE PROPERTIES OF THE BLACKBERRIES

blackberries are very rich in vitamin C and fiber: 100g contain 40 percent and 30 percent of an adult's daily requirement, respectively. They also contain vitamin K, which is essential for bone health and blood clotting. blackberries are also a rich source of anthocyanins and antioxidants, which are necessary for healthy brain function.

blackberries also contain gallic acid, rutin, and ellagic acid, compounds that may have antiviral and antibacterial properties and help kill oral bacteria.

CONCLUSION

A good variety of colourful berries is the most beneficial food for our bodies and particularly in recent years: berries are in fact some of the healthiest foods you can eat. They are low in calories and rich in fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants.

Many berries have been associated with being beneficial to heart health. These include lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and reducing oxidative stress. They can also help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and are a great alternative to snacks with added sugars.

Nutritionists recommend eating several portions of berries per week and tasting different types. There are many occasions to enjoy berries: in healthy and tasty home recipes, outside the home as a practical and healthy snack, as a nutritious snack and as a tasty snack.

Just start and the habit will soon become a real panacea for health and well-being.

Cover photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash

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The incredible health properties of blueberries, black currants, raspberries and blackberries

BERRIES: WHAT ARE THEY?

THE SPREAD OF BERRIES

BERRIES IN COOKING: RECIPES

THE PROPERTIES OF BERRIES

THE PROPERTIES OF BLUEBERRIES

THE PROPERTIES OF RASPBERRIES

BLACKCURRANT PROPERTIES

THE PROPERTIES OF THE BLACKBERRIES

CONCLUSION

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