Blackberries and other berries can heal you!

General Fruit Growing
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Everyone wants to know what i see in this fruit and why i worry about extending the blackberry season. Many have mentioned to me the bitter taste of certain berries which is a normal variation people do not like. The taste they are picking up is most likely salicylic acid “Aspirin is a closely related compound know to pharmacists as salicylic acid acetate. The therapeutic successes of small daily doses of aspirin to inhibit atherosclerosis suggest the possibility that salicylic acid consumed in foods may provide a similar benefit.” When berries here have those genetic variations i do not remove them.
People frequently dont know whats in their best interest. Everyone has been seperated from the wild so there has been no relatives to teach them about the world they live in. Because of this people do not recognize the importance of genetic diversity. We have a limited time to learn from our mistakes. I adapted my grandfathers berry to Kansaa by using selection. The majority of the first plants died

http://berryhealth.fst.oregonstate.edu/health_healing/fact_sheets/
lackberries | Blueberries | Black Raspberries| Red Raspberries | Strawberries

Scientists have found berries have some of the highest antioxidant levels of any fresh fruits (measured as ORAC), and kale and spinach are the only vegetables with ORAC values as high as fresh, delicious berries. Fresh berries are some of the most powerful (and delicious) disease-fighting foods available.

Anthocyanins
Color pigments in berries that are powerful antioxidants. Blue, purple, and red color has been associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, urinary tract health, memory function, and healthy aging.

Antioxidants
Substances that protect the body by neutralizing free radicals or unstable oxygen molecules, which can damage the cells and are a major source of disease and aging.

Catechins
Catechins are flavonols that support the antioxidant defense system.Catechins found in caneberries are very similar to those found in green tea which studies show may contribute to cancer prevention. The catechins content found in 100 grams (about 3 /4 cup) is as follows: red raspberries, .83 milligrams and Evergreen blackberries, 1.4 milligrams.

Dietary Fiber
Found only in plant foods, fiber helps maintain a healthy GI tract, lowers blood cholesterol, reduces heart disease and may prevent certain types of cancers.

Ellagic Acid
A phenolic compound known as a potent anti-carcinogen which has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Scientists feel ellagic acid plays a major roll in cancer prevention and tumor reversal.

Fiber
A carbohydrate-like substance found only in plants. Dietary fiber helps maintain a healthy
gastrointestinal tract and may help prevent certain types of cancers. It can also help to reduce blood cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.

Gallic Acid
A potent antioxidant also found in black tea and red wine, shown in tests to inhibit cell proliferation and cell death in prostrate cancer cells.

ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values are a measure of the antioxidant activity. Specifically, it measures the degree and length of time it takes to inhibit the action of an oxidizing agent. Antioxidants inhibit oxidation which is known to have a damaging effect on tissues. Studies now suggest that consuming fruits and vegetables with a high ORAC value may slow the aging process in both body and brain. Antioxidants are shown to work best when combined; the presence of fiber and other plant compounds enhance the health benefit. For this reason, a nutraceutical source is a more viable antioxidant option than that of a dietary supplement.

Single servings of fresh or freshly cooked fruits and vegetables supply an average of 600-800 ORAC units. Scientists believe that increasing intake of foods that provide 2000-5000 units per day may be needed to increase serum and tissue antioxidant activity sufficiently to improve health outcomes.

Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are naturally occurring antioxidants in plants that add flavor, color pigments and scent, and they are abundant in all types of fruits and vegetables, particularly berries.

The pigments that give berries their rich red to blue, black and purple colors are a type of phytochemical that has been shown to have significant disease-fighting, cell-protecting antioxidant capacity.

Quercetin
A flavonol that works as both an anti-carcinogen, an antioxidant and protects against cancer and heart disease.

Rutin
A bioflavonoid that promotes vascular health, helps to prevent cell proliferation associated with cancer and has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties.

Salicylic Acid
The salicylic acid found in Oregon caneberries may prove to have the same protective effect against heart disease as aspirin. Aspirin is a closely related compound know to pharmacists as salicylic acid acetate. The therapeutic successes of small daily doses of aspirin to inhibit atherosclerosis suggest the possibility that salicylic acid consumed in foods may provide a similar benefit. A 100-gram serving (about 3 /4 cup) of red raspberries contains around 5 milligrams of salicylic acid.

Vitamin C
A water soluble vitamin that functions as a powerful antioxidant.

Source:
Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission "

See these links as well

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been touting these benefits for years. all the berries i grow i grow 1st for their benefits 2nd for taste. only 1 I’ve had a hard time eating and its the highest for your list of benefits is aronia. i have a huge crop on right now with branches bending. been hit by 3 frosts with our drought, they should be peak. i plan to steam juice them then mix the syrup with other juice. i heard its good with apple juice/ cider.others with the highest above mentioned benefits that i grow are black currant, mulberry, blueberries, honeyberries, cranberries, elderberries, dark grapes, sour cherries, serviceberry, raspberries and strawberries. the darker the fruit is generally the better for you. with the high cancer rate running in my family, i try to consume as much of these fruits as i can . once my plants have all matured i shouldn’t have to buy fruit again.

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More than once as a sick child, I’d eat a pint of cold-packed canned blackberries, and usually felt much better and back into outdoors or school and so forth the next day.

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@moose71 @BlueBerry agree completely with what both of you said and i’m a heavy grower of aronia as well for the reasons mentioned Aronia Harvest

https://www.superberries.com/understandingantioxidants

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just finished picking mine tonight. just shy of 5 gal from 2 8ft. bushes. my biggest haul yet. bushes in 6th leaf.

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Funny, I happen to like aronia - when they’re ripe. The 2nd berry is better than the first. LIke eating spicy food, once your mouth gets used to it, the experience is different.

But generally, I don’t make fuss about which cultivar has the most of a particular nutrient, or even which fruit.

I agree with whoever suggested the idea that the healthiest fruit is the one you eat. If a berry has 50% more of something, but doesn’t taste good, I’d rather just eat 50% more of the good tasting one.

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i agree that any fruit you eat is better than none. i just like to stack the cards in my favor. the aronia i harvested yesterday are stating to give off juice as i picked them so i know they were ready. how do you eat them? I’ve tried eating them strait up but can’t get past the astringency of them. i plan to juice them today in my european juicer then freeze them in ice cubes to be used mixed in other juices like apple. id prefer to eat the pulp as well for the fiber but haven’t found anything that they mix with in other foods that they taste good.

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I like to pick them and put in my mouth. I think some cultivars are better than others, and they need to be plump and have been well watered.

I don’t mind a little astringency though.

I’ve juiced them in a masticating juicer and steam juicer. I prefer the taste from the masticating juicer, although it seems that no amount of straining can remove all of the sediment. I let it settle in the bottle and pour from the top without agitating.

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i just did mine in my steam juicer. i did crush the berries after 30min. with a potato masher so i have some pulp and seeds but thats fine . i did eat a few berries strait and the taste was good but still had some astringency. poured and freezing into ice cubes for the freezer. ill mix a few cubes with other juices and see how they taste.

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