Thank You Berry Much
According to advertising, if I’m not consuming “superfoods” like acai smoothies and maqui berries, then I might as well plan my funeral. Does eating berries prevent heart attacks?
Let’s talk about a Supreme Court case in 1893 between John Nix and Edward Hedden.
Seriously?
Yes. Back in the 19th century, a large fruit company was mad at the state of New York for taxing tomato imports. The tariff act of 1883 required that all imported vegetables be taxed. The state of New York claimed that the tomato was a vegetable. The fruit company argued that it was a fruit and should not have an import tax.
It’s a vegetable, right?
Tomatoes ARE fruits according to the scientific definition. However, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the tomato is a vegetable. Justice Howard Gray wrote the court’s opinion stating that even though tomatoes were fruits, people used them like vegetables and thought of them as vegetables.
And your point is?
My point is that just because someone labels acai smoothies and maqui berries as “superfoods” doesn’t necessarily make them so. The purported health benefits of acai and maqui berries are thought to be from antioxidants known as anthocyanins. However, anthocyanins are also found in other berries, as well as onions, cabbage, beans, apples, pears, plums, radishes, pomegranates, eggplant, grapes, tomatoes, tart cherries, raisins, and prunes. They are even found in Brazilian Green Propolis.
Brazilian Green Propolis? That sounds fancy. Do you sprinkle that on your hashbrowns?
Only if you like your hash browns covered in bee saliva.
Disgusting! I’d rather eat eggplant. So are anthocyanins the “healthy stuff” in berries?
Yes. Anthocyanins comprise about 400 types of natural pigments that give fruits and vegetables their red and blue colors. In our bodies, anthocyanins are anti-oxidants that clean up the pollution of energy production. It’s observed that people who eat diets high in anti-oxidants have less cancer, heart disease, diabetes, memory loss, and inflammation.
So why the attention to acai and maqui berries?
The reason for the craze of some berries such as acai, maqui and even bee spit, is that the amount of anthocyanins are higher in these foods than the typical foods we eat.
So back to berries. Do berries have any science that they prevent heart attacks?
There is NO good evidence in humans that berry consumption or supplementing with anthocyanins prevents heart attacks.
Sounds like people are simply trying to make a buck off of unproven health claims with acai and maqui berries.
I appreciate the passion people have to promote disease fighting foods. After all, food is medicine. Eating the right kinds and amounts of food protects us from disease. Likewise, eating the wrong foods or too much food can cause disease.
Personally, I feel that the whole acai, maqui and bee spit craze are:
Hint: It starts with an “S” and ends in “nake oil.”
So what does the berry science in humans tell us?
We observe that people who eat berries have less heart attacks than those who don’t. One 7 year study showed that people who ate strawberries and blueberries several times a week had an 18% reduction in heart attacks. Another study in Iowa showed that eating strawberries even once weekly prevented heart attacks. A Finnish study showed that heart attacks decreased with increasing daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and berries. Another study showed that eating blueberries and strawberries more than 3 times weekly led to a 34% decrease in heart attacks compared to those who never ate berries.
Hmmmm. So these are just observations. Are there good scientific studies that show real benefits?
One 6 month study showed that 1/2 to 1 cup of blueberries a day increased good cholesterol by 3mg/dl and improved the health of blood vessels. One review of 27 good studies on anthocyanins showed that regular berry eating had mildly beneficial effects on cholesterol and blood sugar. Most of these studies however were only 6 to 8 weeks long and involved less than 30 people.
If berries are so sweet, they must have a lot of calories, right?
Nope! Check this out:
One reason the Supreme Court said that tomatoes were vegetables was that they were used during the main course and not for dessert. Check out berries compared to some popular desserts!
That’s awesome! So which berries are best to eat for anthocyanins?
That’s a tough call. All berries contain anthocyanins. Eating the whole, raw berry is best. Pressing, pasteurizing, and dehydrating significantly lowers the anthocyanin content. Even the same type of berry grown in different places of the world can have varying antioxidant content.
Higher anthocyanin content is found in choke, maqui, acai, black currant, and blue berries as well as black raspberries. Lower anthocyanidin content is found in blackberries, strawberries, and red raspberries.
Okay Doc, what’s the bottom line?
Berries MAY prevent heart disease, slightly improve blood sugar, and improve blood vessel health. I would eat ANY type of berries several times weekly. Berries are nature’s dessert and are a great substitute for the sugary, processed stuff.
Very informative! “Nature’s dessert” is a great visual and reminder of the good sweet foods we can eat when our sweet tooth kicks in. Thank you