Here’s some Berry Good News! Don’t we all love good news?
Studies have shown that berries and other fruits provide broad-spectrum protection against heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and even cancer!
Of course we all know berries contain essential vitamins and minerals. However the National Institute of Health is discovering that the health benefits of berries go far beyond their traditional nutrients. Notice the deep red, blue and purple pigments found in blueberries, blackberries, grapes, etc.?
Extensive research has revealed that the polyphenols which create these deep colors provide powerful antioxidant protection. Known as anthocyanins, these nutrients combat oxidative stress, and can help with many major diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, sclerosis, cancer and allergic disorders. Anthocyanin-rich foods provide multiple benefits that go beyond berries’ well known antioxidant activity, which include:
- Enhanced glucose metabolism and reduced glucose absorption
- Reduced formation and enhanced immune system clearance of amyloid, a protein found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients
- Programmed cell death in cancer cell lines
- Antiviral, antibacterial and antiparasitic activity
- Reduced capillary permeability and fragility
- Improved neuronal cellular communication
Now that we know the amazing effects of anthocyanin, here is a list of the sources considered by scientists to be the most potent.
Strawberry
- Inhibit the growth of oral, colon, prostate, liver and breast cancers
- Reduce cognitive decline in elderly humans.
- Reduce the formation of unwanted blood clots, which lower total and LDL cholesterol
- Improve lipid peroxidation
- Decrease biomarkers of atherosclerosis
- Help prevent heart attack and stroke
Blueberry
- Enhance cognitive performance
- Protect against age-related decline of memory and brain function
- Improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease studies
- Help protect the aorta, lower blood pressure, and improve insulin resistance and glucose control
- In the laboratory, blueberries induced the self-destruction of oral, breast, colon, and prostate cancer cells
Cherries
- Exhibit potent cardiovascular and antidiabetic effects
- Block inflammatory pathways associated with gout and arthritis (a 2012 study discovered that cherry intake reduced gout attacks by 35%)
- Reduce blood levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, insulin, even the cholesterol that is stored in the liver
- Rich in a phytonutrient called perillyl alchohol, which has been known to prevent the development, or limit the progression of, several cancer types including colon cancer
Pomegranate
- Shown promise in reducing the risk of metastasis in breast cancer
- Initiate apoptosis (programmed cell death) and inhibit the proliferation of prostate, lung, colon, and other cancers
- Protect cardiovascular health by significantly reducing both arterial plaque, lowing blood pressure, and improving blood lipid profiles
- Reduce inflammation in colitis, enhance drug antibacterial activity, and suppress inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis
- Supports the skin’s underlying structure and lowers the production of collagen-degrading enzymes, resulting in younger-looking skin
Prune
- The prune is the fruit that is the MOST effective at both preventing and reversing bone loss, in part due to suppressing the rate of bone turnover.
- Improve the body’s ability to absorb iron
- Can help normalize blood sugar
- Prevents over-eating
- Lowers cholesterol
- Protects intestines
- Natural laxative
- Great anti-Oxidant Source
Cranberry
- Best known for their ability to help prevent urinary tract infections (they do this by inhibiting the adherence of E. coli to the urethra and bladder wall, making it easier for the body to flush them out)
- Protect against gastric ulcers by preventing Helicobacter pylori from adhering to the stomach lining.
- Display anti-proliferative activity in vitro and in vivo, against cancer cells of several different types; gastric, esophageal adenocarcinoma, breast, prostate, colon, and lung
- Modulate blood pressure, inhibit platelet aggregation, and reduce inflammation
Grape
- Block the proliferation of prostate, colon, leukemia, and other cancer cell
- Highly active compounds in grapes protect cardiovascular health by helping to prevent platelet aggregation, LDL oxidation, and high blood
- Reduce fatty streaks in the aorta, minimize inflammation, and prevent decreased blood flow to the brain
- The polyphenols in grapes can help combat neurological diseases by potently inhibiting the production of neurofibrillary tangles, a primary marker for Alzheimer’s disease
Raspberry
- Rich source of ellagitannin, an antioxidant which decreases the characteristics associated with metabolic syndrome, which is induced by a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, making it a useful dietary supplement
- Protect against DNA damage in colon cancer cells, and inhibit colon cancer invasion
- Efficacy against oral, breast, cervical, and prostate cancers by stimulating apoptosis in human cancer cells
- Helps prevent the development of atherosclerosis through improved antioxidant status and serum lipid profiles
Goji Berry
Contain 21 Trace Minerals!
Vitamin A – a 1/4 cup serving contains 180% of your daily value.
Vitamin C – a 1/4 cup serving has 30% of your daily value.
Iron – a 1/4 cup provides 15% of your daily value
- Increase energy level
- Packed with fiber
- Reduces inflammation
- Enhances fertility
- Loaded with beta-carotene which promotes healthy skin
- Promotes longevity
- Enhances vision
- Rich in antioxidants that fight cellular damage
If you’re not a fan of any of these fruits (or you want to avoid the sugar), you can find extracts that will give you the same benefits as their fresh counterparts. For the fruit lovers our there (like me!) your addiction is validated!
You can enjoy your delicious berries knowing they are providing powerful health benefits and protecting your body from diseases!
Who says you can’t have it all?
Northfit 