Ah Berries. They are truly one of nature's most perfect
foods. They taste delicious, look wonderful and are
chock-full of health benefits. Amazing health benefits!
Berries should be eaten fresh if possible and to maximize
the health benefits you should try and buy organic berries.
The health benefits can also be maximized by juicing fresh
berries.
But what exactly are the health benefits of berries?
Let's take a list of the most popular berries and quickly
bullet-point the health benefits...
Strawberries
*Rich source of polyphenols (anthocyanins)
*Help protect against cancer
*Help protect against heart disease
*Natural anti-inflammatory properties
*Protection against rheumatoid arthritis
Blueberries
*Blueberries have the highest antioxidant content of almost
any fruit
*Loaded with anthocyanins
*Can help slow-down the aging process
*Promotes urinary tract health
*Protect the cells from free-radical activity
*Could help to prevent Alzheimer's disease
*Help to improve brain-function
*Contains ellagic acid which can help prevent cancer *Could
help protect against colon cancer
Cranberries
*Chock-full of antioxidants and phytonutrients
*Contain proanthocyanidins that can help prevent disease
Blackberries
*Loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients *Excellent
source of vitamin E
*Can help fight infection
*Contains high amounts of tannin and phenolic acids
Raspberries
*Great source of ellagic acid which can help prevent cancer
*Loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants and tannins
*Could help prevent cancer and other degenerative disease
I am often asked, "What is the healthiest of the berries?"
This is a good question. All berries are fantastically
healthy, however; if I had to eat just one type of berry I
would definitely choose the remarkable blueberry.
Blueberries could possibly be one of the healthiest foods
on the planet. They have what is believed to be the highest
antioxidant content of any fruit and a plethora of other
health benefits. But this does not diminish the healthy
benefits of the other berries.
Here are some tips on buying berries...
1. If you can, try and buy organic berries as these will be
free of harmful pesticides and other chemicals
2. Try and buy berries that are plump and brightly colored
as these are ripe and loaded with phytonutrients
3. Avoid berries that look overly soft or that are bruised
4. Try and use berries soon after purchasing them as they
can go bad quickly 'especially organic berries 5. Always
cover and refrigerate berries
If you want to take advantage of the health benefits of
berries but are finding it difficult to consistently eat
fresh berries, there are some supplement options that can
deliver the benefits in a powder or liquid form. But like
most health products you need to educate yourself and
beware of the many hype-driven, low-quality products that
exist.
There has been so much media attention given to berries
lately that legions of berry-based supplements have popped
up on the shelves of grocery stores and health food stores
seemingly overnight. The majority of these are not worth
your money because they contain just a smattering of berry
powder and you would have to consume obnoxiously large
quantities to get any real health value.
The supplements you should target are those that are
powders or actual juice. Look for high potencies and keep
two critical factors in mind. The first factor is you want
to look for supplements that use organic produce. This
ensures the integrity of the bulk ingredients and ensures
that there are no harmful pesticides and other chemicals.
The second factor to look for when shopping for berry-based
supplements is that the source of the berries are juice
extracts as opposed to berry powder.
The difference between the two is enormous. Berry powder
means that they take a whole berry, freeze-dry it and then
grind it up 'skin and all. Berry powder is not bad for you;
it just limits the amounts of phytonutrients you are
getting. Juice extracts, the highest quality source of
berry ingredients, means the berries are actually juiced
and then the juice is freeze-dried. The phytonutrients and
phytochemicals are found in the juice of the berries, not
necessarily in the skin and leaves.
Keep in mind however, that buying supplements that contain
organic, juice extracts is going to cost you more because
the produce is more expensive and the process more tedious.
But the extra money spent means you are getting the maximum
health benefits from the supplement. Visit our website to
learn more about whole-food, super-food supplements.
Berries are some of nature's most perfect foods. Whether
you eat them fresh or take berry-based supplements, do
yourself and your body a favor 'keep eating more of them.
----------------------------------------------------
Joe Costello founded Kylea Health in 1995. Kylea is a
well-respected nutritional company providing cutting edge
nutritional formulas servicing hundreds of thousands of
people. Joe is a health researcher, author, and hosts a
weekly health Television show. For more information about
Joe Costello and Kylea Health and Energy visit
http://www.kylea.com
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