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Apart from being beautiful and delicious, berries of all sorts are excellent for your health: strawberries and raspberries, blueberries and bilberries, blackberries, mulberries and goji berries from the Himalayas, and the buzz "berry of the moment" is the acai berry.

We are going to examine the health properties of the various berries over the next few months. Let's start with

BLUEBERRIES AND BILBERRIES

Is there a difference?

Blueberries and bilberries both belong to the Erica, of Heath species, from the genus Vaccinium. Blueberries have been cultivated from various native bushes, notably Corymbosum, Ashei and Augustifolium. Bilberries arise from the variety Myrtillus.

Blueberries are produced in clusters, whereas bilberries grow berries singly or in pairs. 

One cup of blueberries offers a smaller amount of vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicals. Blueberries also aid in the ability of the body to synthesize vitamin C, as well as improve the integrity of capillaries and tissues. The blue color is related to high amounts of phytonutrients called anthocyanidins which aid in the process of neutralizing free-radical damage in our cells. The blueberry is literally an antioxidant powerhouse, with the highest capacity for free-radical neutralization of any other berry.  With age, the effect of free radicals causes the collagen matrix of our tissues and cells to deteriorate. Blueberries help to keep this from happening.

Before we move on, let's define some of these terms we have been using. Everyone who is interested in health supplements, hears and sees these words all the time. But to make certain we know what they mean, here is a small set of definitions:

   1.  Phytochemicals

These are chemicals which we find within the tissues of plants. They have been taken in and processed by the plant for its own cellular activities, and so they have become microscopic in size, and are readily absorbed into our system. They also have the properties of working together with all the other chemicals, in a natural balance, and one aids the functions of the others in a way we call "synergy". So their use is very much more powerful than we would get from using a mere mixture of macro-chemicals pasted together in a pill.

   2.  Free-radical damage

During the course of any manufacturing chemical activity, waste products are produced. During the cell's numerous activities, oxygen is changed from a useful atom into a free radical, whose unpaired electrons can cause a great deal of damage to the cell structures, especially to the DNA, which is responsible for the production of new cells. Free radicals are created as a by-product of normal metabolism as well as from smoking, pollution, poisons, fried and barbecued foods. They are implicated in the formation of cancers.

  3. Anti-oxidant

Free radicals are "damaged" oxygen atoms. We call "rust" oxidation, which means that a metal has come into contact with oxygen in the presence of moisture and become "oxidized". So when free radicals interact with structures in the cell, those structures suffer "oxidation" and become seriousy compromised. A substance which can prevent free-radical damage is called an anti-oxidant.

  4  Anthocyanidins

These are phytochemicals, or phytonutrients which are extremely powerful in their anti-oxidant activities. They are found in fruits and vegetables which range from orange through to dark red and dark blue.

Blueberries also help to reduce our chances of developing diseases related to inflammation of the cells. This includes a reduced risk for heart disease, many types of cancer, cataracts, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, glaucoma, and peptic ulcers. The American Institute for Cancer Research has stated the following in reference to this powerful blue fruit: “We now know that blueberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants, substances that can slow the ageing process and reduce the cell damage that can lead to cancer.”

European bilberries are used in botanical medicine because their flavonoids have many important effects on the body, including decreasing blood platelet aggregation which can lead to strokes and heart attacks. Bilberries have many of the same properties as blueberries, namely anthocyanadins which act as anti-oxidants which may also benefit varicose veins by strengthening capillaries and vein structure, which is vital to us as we get older and our blood vessels thin and weaken from atherosclerosis. Bilberries also strengthen the blood-brain barrier, thereby limiting the uptake of harmful substances. They have also proven to help relieve day and night blindness and retinal degeneration. Bilberry leaf tea is used to help normalize high blood sugar in diabetics.

What about taking them in pill form?

Here are the pros:

• Nutritional and wholefood supplements are highly concentrated, so they give you more of the nutrients and properties than you would be able to get by eating the berries.
• Berries are seasonal, and the supplements allow you to get the benefit all year round. 

And the cons:

• Plants contain the sun's light energy, stored in vast amounts. Pills cannot gave you quite the same benefit.
• Plants have enzymes which are instrumental in initiating and facilitating all cellular activities. The process of manufacture can lead to the loss of enzymes.
• The useful fibre contained in the skin is no longer available.

Why not do both - get the maximum amount of good by taking the pills all year round, and enjoy the juicy crunch of fresh berries in season!

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DISCLAIMER:

Raising Consciousness does not promote or endorse any of the products mentioned in this article. Please be sure to consult your doctor before embarking upon a course of any of these products, which are not intended to replace traditional medical practice, but to supplement it. Raising Consciousness  cannot be held responsible for self-medication.

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See more in Health 2011..

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