Health & Nutrition
We have always known that eating fruit is good for us, but it is only in recent years that scientific research has pinpointed why that is. We now know that there are high levels of what have been termed nutraceuticals - powerful health-giving properties - in fruits such as boysenberries.
Berries – one of the superfoods
We’d all like a magic cure to help us prevent disease and live longer wouldn’t we? Some form of medicine or agent that would keep your brain active well into your twilight years, as well as preventing illnesses such as heart disease and cancer? Well the answer isn’t a man-made pill, or an exotic plant, but something that is all around us and may very well be growing in your garden – the simple berry.
Fruits such as boysenberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are increasingly being recognised as a source of nutrients that can improve your health and quality of life. Scientific studies are constantly reporting on the latest finds about the properties of these fruits and how they help fight disease and keep our bodies fit and healthy.
Some buzzwords
When you read or hear about the nutritional goodness of boysenberries you’ll come across the words nutraceticals and phytochemicals – scientific terms that are fairly new to our language.
The term nutraceutical was first coined in 1989 (from the words nutrition and pharmaceutical) to name the ever increasing area of biomedical research that links nutrition and health, and is defined as:
'any substance that may be considered a food or part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease
The word phytochemical is derived from the Greek root ‘phyto’ meaning plant,
and is defined as:
'non-nutritive chemicals found in edible fruits and vegetables
that promote health and prevent chronic disease'
You are what you eat
The majority of interest in nutraceuticals comes from US health statistics, where it has been shown that what we eat is implicated in six of the ten leading causes of death in the US (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and liver disease). So, the old adage of ‘you are what you eat’ is most definitely true! And as the link between our food intake and our health continues to be researched, berries are increasingly being recognised as a key food for maintaining our good health.
The good news also is that processing berries, by either cooking or freezing them, does not alter the nutritional and phytochemical properties they contain when fresh. In fact, in some studies, it has been shown to actually improve them.
So, mix in those boysenberries to your muffins, pies and smoothies to ensure you are not only getting your daily intake of important nutrients, but satisfying your sweet tooth as well – nutritious and delicious.