Berry Nutrition

Berry nutrition is almost a by-word. Almost every modern healthy lifestyle and diet book places berries on top of the list of recommended fruits because of their concentrations of health-enhancing vitamins, fiber and antioxidants.

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Many of the health components in berries are important for disease resistance and can be a vital contributor to healthy aging.

Vitamins in Berries

Copper

Copper is used in the growth, development, and maintenance of most body organs. It works to help the body form red blood cells, absorb and utilize iron. Copper also works to help synthesize and release life-sustaining proteins and enzymes that produce cellular energy and regulate nerve transmission, blood clotting, and oxygen transport.

Copper stimulates the immune system to fight infections, repair injured tissues, and promote healing. It also acts as an antioxidant to help the body neutralize free-radicals.

Folate

Folic acid helps ensure the normal functioning of DNA. It is needed for the utilization of sugar and amino acids, promotes healthier skin and helps protect against intestinal parasites and food poisoning.

Studies seem to indicate that women consuming the most folic acid may have substantially lower risks of colon cancer.

High levels of folate are also associated with an increased risk heart disease and stroke. It does this by converting toxic homocysteine into a harmless substance called cystanthionine. Research has found that individuals with the lowest levels of homocysteine have about half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those with the highest levels.

Iron

Iron forms a part a structure in the blood called hemoglobin, it gives blood its dark red color and helps transport oxygen to our cells. In addition to that, iron is also important for muscle protein and traces of it can be found in liver, spleen, bone marrow and in our muscles.

Iron is also essential to the creation of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

Potassium

Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in human body. It is an important electrolyte that helps our cells maintain the electrical impulses needed to deliver nerve impulses and muscle contractions.

Potassium works with sodium for a number of critical body tasks.

Potassium's other role in the body is to help in the metabolism of sugar to glycogen to provide energy for your daily tasks. It also helps the human body to store energy for later use without converting it to fat.

Thiamin

Vitamin B1, or thiamin, is necessary for the body to be able to use carbohydrates as an energy source.

It is also critical for maintaining the protective coverings surrounding most nerves, and for the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, that relays messages between nerves and muscles.

Thiamin helps to regulate appetite and supports normal muscle function, including the heart muscle.

Berry Nutrition for Vitamins Where Berries Provide Between 50 and 338% of Average Daily Requirement

Manganese

Manganese works primarily as a coenzyme that assists with various metabolic processes in the body. It is involved in skin, cartilage, and bone formation, thyroid function, sex hormone function, calcium absorption, blood sugar regulation, and the proper functioning of our immune systems.

Manganese is important for the metabolism of fat and protein. Its also needed for the functioning of the nervous system.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential in the production of collagen, an important ingredient of skin, gums, teeth, tendons, blood vessels, bone and ligaments. It is also important to the synthesis of a neurotransmitter that’s vital for brain function.

Vitamin C protects the body’s lipids (fats), proteins, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), and carbohydrates from damage by free radicals.

One important experiment showed that the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases was significantly lower in both men and women who regularly consumed more than 50 mg of vitamin C per day.

Several other studies have shown that vitamin C supplements also reduce blood pressure, which helps prevent both heart problems and stroke.

A 16-year study of 85,000 women, 1700 of whom were diabetic, found that a 400 mg/day vitamin C supplement significantly reduced the risk of coronary heart disease in the whole group.

People with a higher intake of vitamin C, are less likely to get cancers of the mouth, throat and vocal chords, oesophagus, stomach, lung and colon-rectum. Vitamin C seems to prevent the formation of a chemical called nitrosamine, which might be responsible for producing carcinogens in the digestive system.

Benefits of Fiber

There are two kinds of fiber - soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Different berries have differing amounts of both kinds of fiber.

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber passes through our digestive system pretty much intact. It performs three very important functions in the bowel:

1. It help the wastes in the bowel to keep moving, helping prevent constipation.

2. It maintains a healthy pH in the bowel - making the bowel less hospitable to bacteria and viruses, including cancer.

3. A diet with sufficient insoluble fiber moves toxins efficiently through the intestines and out of the body.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber turns into a gel-like substance when exposed to fluids. It performs different, but no less important functions:

1. It binds with fatty acids, helping reduce the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) in our bodies

2. Help our bodies to regulate blood sugar by slowing it's absorption into the bloodstream.

All of this adds up to a making berries deliciously low glycemic foods , so you can enjoy steady energy throughout your day.

Antioxidants

What are Antioxidants and How do Antioxidants Work?

Your body carries out regular cellular maintenance - repairing structures that are worn out or damaged, taking out the cellular garbage, and some basic preventive maintenance. Every one of these activities is involves chemistry, and wherever there are chemical reactions, there are by-products. By-products are the leftovers, like the dust that collects under a saw - you don't need it to do your construction project, but you still have to deal with it.

Some of these by-products of our body's natural functions are called free-radicals. These are structures that can damage our cells. Our bodies do have their own defense system against free radicals - our natural production of antioxidants. If we are relatively healthy, and exposed to few additional sources of free radicals our bodies can normally produce enough.

However, most of us are exposed to many additional sources of free radicals; cigarette smoke, pollution, radiation, toxic chemicals in our homes, and unnecessary chemicals and preservatives in our food. This level our bodies were not designed to deal with. However, by eating antioxidant rich foods, we can provide our bodies with the antioxidants it cannot make by itself - helping it to get rid of those damaging free radicals.

Most fruits have antioxidants, but berries are amongst the very best sources.

Health Benefits of Black Currants

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Health Benefits of Cranberry Juice

Health Benefits of Strawberries


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