Thrive to 105

I’m afraid I kind of dropped the ball recently in regards to a follow-up blog I had committed to write.  After “reporting” on the acai berries, I was going to blog the next time about the other berries that were in the same article and their benefits.  So, although I didn’t get it done on the originally promised day…I’m here to do it now!

Before I begin, however, let me inform you all that I bought and tried jicama! You may recall it was one of the vegetables I wrote about recently, along with sweet potatoes and kale.  First let me say that peeling the darn thing is NOT such an easy thing to do…at least not with a potato peeler…or at least not with MY potato peeler.  What I found to be easiest was prying up a strip of skin with a paring knife and just peeling it off with my fingers.  The whole time I was doing it, I kept thinking, “This thing better taste good after all this!”  As a matter of fact, it is pretty good!  The video I included with my blog post where it was described as similar to an apple, but not as sweet, and the consistency of a water chestnut was pretty accurate.  It’s crunchy and moist.  I enjoyed it.  Don’t expect a huge taste sensation; it could be considered kind of bland.  However, I would definitely suggest trying it; I’ll buy another.  It’s nice to have something new to add to my new eating repertoire.

Now…back to fruits, specifically, berries!  You may have heard the term polyphenols used before; they are plant-based chemicals which are beneficial to your health.  One of these polyphenols is anthocyanins. This nutrient helps make your favorite berry red, blue or purple.  As cited in the June 2010 issue of Life Extension, recent research is proving the health benefits of anthocyanins.  They include:

• Stopping the growth of cancer cells and actually killing them (apoptosis) in some cancers.
• Lowering heart disease risks
• Helping with eye functions
• Controlling oxidative DNA damage on a cellular level

As we discussed before, bioavailability is of utmost importance.  Quoting from Life Extension,

An 8-week, randomized, placebo-controlled study published this year confirmed not only that they are highly bioavailable—they can also significantly increase levels of other beneficial polyphenols in the blood.

Here is the list of these darlings of the fruit world:

• Blueberry
• Bilberry
• Black currant
• Cranberry
• Elderberry
• Pomegranate (is this a berry????)

To give a quick, down-and-dirty description of just part of what these fruits may do for you…

Blueberry – helps with memory; improves insulin resistance; helps protect the myocardium

Bilberry – I don’t even know what these look like, though they’re related to blueberries; inhibits ACE (which contributes to hypertension); inhibits breast cancer cells from multiplying

Black currant – I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one, although I’ve seen the jelly!  Very potent anti-viral traits; reduces oxidative stress

Cranberry – Most women already know this one…urinary tract assistance! May help fight proliferation of certain cancer cells

Elderberry – Anti-viral, as well; protects endothelial cells (lining the blood vessels) against oxidative stress

Pomegranate – cardiovascular help; reduces inflammation (arthritis); promising studies show reducing metastasis in breast cancer and cell death in other cancers

In addition to the above, it’s generally accepted that other fruits we love are also similar in benefits:

• Raspberries
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Cherries

Remember the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)?  Here is where these berries fall on the scale…all behind the acai berries reported on previously, of course:

1. Pomegranates – 10,500
2. Blackberries – 5,100
3. Bilberries – 4,200
4. Blueberries – 3,200
5. Raspberries – 2,600
6. Strawberries – 2,400
7. Elderberries – 2,100
8. Cherries – 1,160
9. Black Currant – 1,100
10. Red grapes – 1,100

Obviously, we can’t go wrong with any of these fruit choices.  Anybody have an easy way of getting into one of them there pomegranate things?

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