Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Berries Are Not Just Show Pieces

By Anastacia Sampson

The predictability of ubiquitous raisins can be replaced by cranberries in cakes or muffins. It is well known that fresh strawberries are high in Vitamin C. Besides this there are various other berry types! Numerous types are edible, from blue-staining blueberries (that are blue-purple in colour) to raspberries, cranberries, mulberries and other juicy sweet berries.

Not all berries are sweet, some are harmful and fatal. Whenever anyone is in the wild and comes across wild berries, mushrooms and other unknown varieties it is worth not even trying them for taste. The knowledge of what is poisonous is helpful before taking a wild trial and trying out the foods we assume are safe. Generally mushrooms look appealing, they are a fungus and can be dangerous.

Mushrooms are of high moisture content, while shitake mushrooms are known to be very health supporting. Nutritious berries supply various levels of protective antioxidants. To reduce our rate of ageing and help ward away the development of disease we have blueberries. Therapeutically for urinary tract infections we have cranberries. Susceptibility to kidney stones is alleviated by taking cranberry juice. Medications for urinary and bladder problems incorporate cranberries.

Medical studies display the potency of cranberry juice to protect against some forms of kidney stones. Blueberries have also been shown to effectively protect and treat urinary tract infections. It is these blueberries and cranberries that prevent the harmful bacteria from latching onto the urinary walls. The harmful bacteria are unsupported to grow and therefore cause ill health. It happens that in different countries certain berries tend to grow and are more popular and available. Although access to fresh berries at our nearby grocery stores is not general we do have access to frozen and canned berries. As they are fragile, berries are not suitable for mass transport and storage in fresh form.

The mulberry tree provides the mulberry fruit, the mulberries not only feed us but the leaves of that tree feed silk worms. Using berries to make juice is an age old practice and we can always find berry flavoured juices or concentrated berry juices.

Then we may have often known of bakery products of pies and tarts that often include berry ingredients. Many a time we have the cherries on ice-cream or cakes. Nothing tops it off like any other decorative piece for colourful appeal! Red cherries are usually preserved and available in packages in grocery stores. For valuable iron levels we have loganberries, blackberries, black currents and raspberries. Do not forsake the gooseberries that may be more common and have a yellow tinge. For highly regarded Vitamin E levels we can present the blackberries!

All in all berries are high in fibre, minerals and vitamins relative to various other fruits. Although berries may be minor juicy fragile ball-like fruits, they do pack a punch for nutritional health. - 14130

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