It’s slim picking in the fresh fruit aisle this time of year. It may appear well-stocked, but many of the berries you see on supermarket shelves are imported from other continents and are sad, tasteless forms of their summertime selves.
While citrus fruits and bananas are great alternatives in the winter, they lack the health benefits of deep-colored berries. Those red, blue and purple pigments have health benefits because they contain anthocyanins – natural antioxidants that maintain proper eye function, limit cellular oxidative DNA damage and decrease platelet aggregation.
There is accumulating evidence that much of the health-promoting potential of berries comes from these phytochemicals, bioactive compounds not designated as traditional nutrients. There is much evidence that dietary consumption of anthocyanin pigments and polyphenolics have preventative and therapeutic roles in a number of human diseases. A number of studies show an inverse relationship between intake of flavonoids in the diet and mortality from coronary heart disease. The anthocyanin pigments of bilberry have long been used from improving visual acuity and treating circulatory disorders.
Women who eat about two servings of strawberries or one serving of blueberries a week experienced less mental decline over time than women who did not, according to research published in the Annals of Neurology. The positive effect is attributed to the anthocyanidins, compounds known to cross the blood-brain barrier and locate in the learning and memory centers of the brain.
Eating berries twice a week reduces the chance of developing Parkinson’s disease by 25 percent, according to research published in the journal Neurology. The same research showed that men with the highest intake of flavonoids reduced their risk by 40 percent.
Dietitians and physicians now recognize that a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruit helps to keep blood pressure within normal ranges. Berries also help fight systemic inflammation, a risk factor associated with heart attack and stroke. Results published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases showed a 22 percent reduction in C-reactive protein with anthocyanin supplementation.
During the winter months when berries and other fruits high in anthocyanin content are unavailable, like cherries and plums, supplementation can be an excellent source of the beneficial components found fresh fruit. In particular, look for dietary supplements containing concentrated extracts of bilberry, grape, acai, pomegranate, black current and elderberry.
Of course, a supplement will not replace the nutritional value of whole berries, but adding anthocyanin-containing supplements to your daily regiment may offer complementary health benefits year-round.
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