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Properties and Uses
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Nutritional treasures
All berries and cherries contain vitamin C. Other nutrients vary from berry to berry. Some examples are:
- Iron: Blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
- Bioflavonoids: Cranberries, currants, blackberries, and strawberries.
- Folate: Raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
- Potassium: Currants, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
- Calcium & vitamin E: Blackberries.
Many berries
There are many uncommon types of berries beneficial for many different types of ailments. Hawthorn berries are an excellent heart remedy, particularly for angina. Saw palmetto berries are good for preventing prostate problems and impotence. Raspberries contain ellagic acid, a popular alternative remedy substance that can interfere with the cancer process and keep it from progressing.
Improve Your I.Q.
James Joseph, PhD, lead scientist in the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University calls the blueberry the brain berry. His study of aged rats who were fed blueberry extract—about the equivalent of 1/2 cup a day for several weeks—found that they learned faster than the younger rats, were more coordinated, showed improved motor skills and outperformed younger rats in memory test. This same institution also published research informing that antioxidants, such as the anthocyanosides found in blueberries, can reverse age-related declines in brain function, such as those associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Is this enough reason to eat these tasty treats each day!
Keep your blood vessels clear
Animal studies performed at the University of Paris and also at the University of Budapest discovered that blueberries kept away cholesterol deposits on arteries and small blood vessels in the brain. The active ingredient is anthocyanoside, which in the animal studies, kept cholesterol from lodging in the walls of blood vessels.
Sight saver
Blueberries are the best at preventing macular degeneration, blindness caused by damage to a part of the retina by environmental and other unknown factors. Anthocyanoside has been shown in clinical studies to retard vision loss. Blueberries contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision, as do raspberries.
The Swedish cure for diarrhea
In Sweden, dried blueberries are used as a sure cure for diarrhea. Blueberries contain antibacterial agents that kill the E. coli bacteria that can cause diarrhea. But they must be dried to be effective.
Help prevent and fight cancer
Strawberries help you fight cancer with many super antioxidants packed into one beautiful little red fruit. They contain vitamin C and the antioxidant glutathione, important anticancer agents. Dean P. Jones, associate professor of biochemistry at Emory University School of Medicine, reports that glutathione can deactivate at least thirty cancer-causing compounds.
Glutathione is more highly concentrated in raw, whole foods. Canning reduces the glutathione content to one-eighth; juicing and cooking destroy at least some of the glutathione present in fresh strawberries.
Strawberries also contain ellagic acid , a substance that can interfere with the cancer process and keep it from progressing.
Protect yourself from chest pain
Chest pain, or angina, occurs when arteries around the heart are partially blocked, usually due to the accumulation of plaque. Blood cannot flow through easily to take oxygen to the heart muscle, thus creating chest pains. Angina is linked to low levels of antioxidants such as vitamin C. According to researcher Rudolph A. Riemersma, M.D., at the University of Edinburgh, eating high vitamin C berries such as strawberries can alleviate the pain. Vitamin C’s ability to keep the bad type of cholesterol from clogging arteries may be a factor in the relief of angina.
Cure Gout!
Raw, sweet—but especially tart—cherries (about 15-20 per day) or cherry juice concentrate (1 tablespoon, three times a day) is an age-old cure for gout. You can also make an anti-gout tea from the stems. Add a handful of cherry stems to two pints of boiling water. Then turn the heat very low and let it cook for about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit another 20 minutes before drinking. Drink at least 2 cups a day.
Gout is a type of arthritis, which is an inflammation of the joints that mostly affects men over age 40. It is nearly always associated with an abnormally high concentration of uric acid in the blood. As uric acid concentrations increase, needlelike crystals of a salt called monosodium urate (MSU) form. In time, MSU crystals cause the inflammation and pain of gout. Cherries contain bioflavonoid compounds called anthocyanins that can lower uric acid and reduce inflammation, thus reducing the pain of gout. Bioflavonoids are powerful antioxidants that fight things such as allergens, viruses, carcinogens and harmful cell oxidation.
According to researchers at Michigan State University, who were among the first to identify three powerful anthocyanins in tart cherries, daily consumption of tart cherries has the potential to reduce pain associated with inflammation, arthritis and gout. Lead researcher Muralee Nair said that twenty tart cherries a day can keep pain related to arthritis and inflammation at bay. Also, that tart cherry’s anti-inflammatory anthocyanins, are at least 10 times more active than aspirin for pain relief.
Anthocyanins are also found in almost as high amounts in raspberries, but I have not heard about them used for pain relief of gout or arthritis—which does not mean they won’t work also.
Tina Miller, MS RD of the Dietetics Department of Eastern Michigan University says, “while there is no set ‘prescription’ for the use of tart cherries, most people benefit from consuming two tablespoons of tart cherry juice concentrate daily. If you're on a low-acid diet, you can still use cherry juice concentrate, just be sure to consume it in combination with other foods, or at the end of a meal. Frozen and dried tart cherries are also effective for relieving arthritis and gout pain. The key is consistency”.
Arthritis Miracle Cure
My friend Karen had suddenly developed osteoarthritis that affected her shoulders, elbows, knees, and her fingers to where she could not point with a straight finger anymore. About 3 months later, while having dinner at my home, she was talking to my friend Steve. He suffers from gout and told her that whenever the pain starts, he drinks tart cherry juice, which clears it right up. He mentioned that arthritis has similarities to gout.
Steve said he bought the cherry juice in his supermarket. But not finding it at hers, Karen went to the health food store, where she saw tart cherry capsules next to the juice. The juice can be acidic and contains sugar so she decided to try the capsules. Right from the start she experienced pain relief, so much so that she substituted two capsules—one in the morning and one at night—for the Tylenol or aspirin she was taking every 4 hours. The cherry capsules gave her the relief without the dangerous side effects that can accompany everyday use of over-the-counter pain relievers.
After taking the capsules for about 2 weeks, she realized that her fingers were not so curled. Then after a month, I got a jubilant phone call declaring that she had received a miracle. She explained that being a restless light sleeper, she turns over a lot and since the onset of the arthritis, her shoulders and elbows hurt when she moved. The night before, her shoulders and elbows did not hurt—and have not done so since!
About 6 months after the onset of the arthritis Karen joined a gym and worked out twice a week with the free weights and on the machines. Within 3 months, her fingers were completely straight and her knees no longer bothered her. She credits the tart cherry capsules and the workouts for her further healing and says she will never stop taking the capsules and working out—ever!
Stop hacking coughs
Have you ever had a cherry-flavored cough drop? That cherry flavoring was no accident. The bark from the wild black cherry tree can put an end to a hacking cough, so look for real wild cherry as an ingredient if you’re shopping for cough drops.
Cranberries – Miracle Cures
The Cranberry Institute, a trade organization, whose research I trust, has this to say about the cranberry. “While cranberry is perhaps best known for its effect on urinary tract health, newer research indicates that it may act elsewhere in the body against other bacteria as well. The adhesion of the different types of bacteria that cause both stomach ulcers, and periodontal gum disease, have been shown to be inhibited in the presence of cranberry, and it is likely that others susceptible bacteria will be found as well.”
Here are some other maladies that the institute lists as said to heal:
- Peptic Ulcers
- Stomach Cancer
- Acid Reflux Disease
- Gastritis
IMPORTANT - Too Much Cranberry Juice Can Be Harmful
Although unlikely, it is possible that anyone drinking 4 cups of Cranberry juice daily over a long period of time could develop kidney stones, due to Cranberry's acid content. Strangely enough, however, up to 10 fluid ounces (a little over an 8 ounce cup) of this juice daily reduces the risk of kidney stones and helps to prevent urinary tract infections.
Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers may find that cranberries, whether fruit or juice with little else to eat, may aggravate the condition and cause diarrhea.
If you take Warfarin, speak to your physician about drinking the juice while taking this medication, or any other restrictions.
The wonder cure for cystitis
One of the many wonder cures I recommend everywhere I go is cranberry juice for urinary tract infections (cystitis). Women suffer from this thirty times more often than men, and for many women, it is as recurrent as the common cold.
For years, women depended on antibiotics from their doctors to cure these infections, but the antibiotics caused vaginal infections that would then also have to be treated. Now the cranberry juice cure is fairly common knowledge, preventing a great deal of needless suffering.
The credit for understanding exactly how cranberry juice works in healing bladder infections goes to Dr. Anthony Sobota, a microbiology professor at Youngstown State University in Ohio. He was looking for substances that would heal infections by preventing bacteria from attaching to a cell, rather than killing the bacteria outright. What he found when he tested cranberry juice was amazing. It was ten times more effective than antibiotic drugs. The way it works is very simple. The cell walls that form bladder tissues contain pockets that are like little keyholes. The bacteria have hollow, rodlike attachments that fit like a key in the lock. Once the bacteria attach to the cells in that way, an infection begins. Cranberry juice essentially “plugs up” the keyhole. Bacteria slide right away, and the infection disappears. This magic ingredient is called vacciniin.
How much cranberry juice should you drink? That’s really an individual choice. If you are prone to bladder infections, a small glass every day would be an excellent preventative measure. Any bottled, sugar-free brand will do. If you rarely have them, you may only want to use cranberry juice when you actually get an infection. A sixteen- ounce glass every hour to start should knock the infection right out, but keep drinking cranberry juice for a couple of days to prevent its recurrence. A good rule of thumb is, if it still hurts after 24 hours, see your doctor.
Blueberries for strong blood vessels
Again, like blueberries, black currants help clear away the cholesterol buildup in blood vessels. These studies were conducted by French researchers independent of the other studies on blueberries that also took place in France and Hungary.
For PMS and Menopause
One remedy I highly recommend is gamma linoleic acid (GLA) for symptoms of PMS and menopause. Black currants contain high amounts of GLA. It helps ease migraines, cramps and mood swings. Women find that their disposition is much sweeter with a daily dose of GLA from either black currant oil or another source, evening primrose oil. You can find capsules of either one in the health food section of your market.
Increase longevity
Can black currant juice help you live longer? One surprising study published in Experimental Gerontology, in 1982, by researchers in Cardiff, Wales, showed that black currant juice prolonged the life of aging female mice. Why this occurred is unknown, but it is definitely an approach worth trying—even if you’re not a mouse.
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