Berry Good

NoOption5L@aol.com · medicine forum beginner Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 32

Berries are often described as "super foods," but then, so are many
other foods. Are berries really such a nutritional powerhouse, or are
they just one more fruit option? And is one kind of berry really better
than the rest?

Research does show that berries are among the fruits highest in
antioxidant content and that they are excellent sources of several
phytochemicals that seem to help block cancer development. However,
other fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients and
phytochemicals with unique health benefits. The best advice, then, is
to eat berries often for their great taste and health boost, but stay
focused on the main goal of eating a wide variety of produce every day.

Strawberries are known as excellent sources of vitamin C, providing as
much or more than a whole day's recommended amount in just one cup.
But all berries are good sources of vitamin C, with one cup of
raspberries or blackberries giving you close to half of amounts
currently recommended for a whole day for adults. One of the ways
vitamin C protects our health is its function as an antioxidant.
Antioxidants attract and neutralize highly reactive molecules called
free radicals that could otherwise damage body cells in ways that
initiate cancer development, heart disease and age-related eye damage.
Yet laboratory studies show that much of the antioxidant power of
fruits and vegetables comes not from the classic antioxidant vitamins
such as vitamin C, but from natural protective compounds called
phytochemicals.

Seeing red
Anthocyanins are a group of phytochemicals that give many berries their
red color. In laboratory studies, anthocyanins inhibit growth of lung,
colon and leukemia cancer cells without affecting growth of healthy
cells. Decreased cancer development is also seen in animals given
anthocyanins.

Ellagic acid is another important phytochemical in virtually all
berries. More than a simple antioxidant, ellagic acid also blocks
metabolic pathways that can lead to cancer. In animals, it has
inhibited development of colon, esophageal, liver, lung and skin
cancers stemming from a variety of carcinogens.

Pterostilbene is yet another powerful antioxidant phytochemical that
seems to affect metabolic processes to decrease development of both
cancer and heart disease. Blueberries are an excellent source of this
relative of the health-promoting resveratrol that is found in grapes
and red wine.

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Phytochemicals seem to be a vital part of the benefits we get from
berries. One study showed that strawberries' power to inhibit cancer
cell growth was unrelated to their antioxidant content, suggesting that
the direct influences of the phytochemicals on cancer development are
very important.

Working together
An essential question remains: Do normal portions of berries give us
enough phytochemicals to get protective benefits or do we need to eat
larger portions than standard 1/2 cup servings? Some research does
suggest that concentrations normally found in the blood after eating
berries are enough to substantially decrease cancer cells' growth and
to stimulate their self-destruction, but more study is needed.

Overall, research on phytochemicals shows that looking at the effects
of single foods does not show the full picture. Studies show that a
wide range of phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains
and beans act together in ways far greater than would be expected from
looking at them individually. That's why, as fabulously healthy as
berries are, the bottom line has to be abundance and variety of many
fruits and vegetables.
---

Patrick

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