Berry Power - 2008 Update

[Harry Hirsute]

What You Need to Know: The Disease-Fighting Power of Berries

• Many experts recognize that eating richly colored foods such as berries can have a significant impact on health.
• In general, the more deeply pigmented a fruit or vegetable is, the more nutritional value it has. In particular, deep pigments are a sign of the presence of powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins.
• Deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables also possess powerful abilities to disarm dangerous free radicals, as indicated by their high ORAC values. USDA scientists recommend obtaining 3,000-5,000 ORAC units each day—far more than what most individuals consume.
• Increasing consumption of high ORAC-value fruits and vegetables provides a simple yet powerful method of increasing the body’s defenses against disease-provoking free radicals.
• Anthocyanin-rich berry fruits have been shown to be active against some of today’s most common diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.
• Anthocyanins and other berry extracts have been shown to directly protect the blood vessels and the neurological system.
• Anthocyanins and other berry extracts have also been shown to have remarkable anti-aging effects, staving off the effects of free radical damage, which build up over time, causing disease.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/...Berries_01.htm