Blackberries

September must be one of the most abundant months in the UK for fruit and vegetables, with local hedgerows bursting with Blackberries. If this fruit came from a sun-drenched amazonian rain forest it would be uber marketed as the next big superfood! I suppose it suffers due to its wildly abundant growth throughout the British Isles, so encourage you to get outside to pluck the last remaining berries, also benefitting from the outdoor physical activity. This fantastic fruit is a powerhouse of essential nutrients of vitamins and minerals but it’s the phenolic compounds that make it stand out head and shoulders amongst other popular fruits.

These Phenolic compounds, also known as polyphenols, are naturally occurring substances found exclusively in plants. Fruits, vegetables, green tea, and whole grains represent the richest dietary sources of these compounds. While the health benefits of the 30 or so essential vitamins and minerals are well established, nutrition research has only begun to explore the vast potential of more than 8,000 recognised polyphenols and their sub-categories.

The benefits of polyphenols in blackberries have been researched to show anti-cancer properties which slow the growth of cancer cells. Lab tests using blackberry extract, reported slower growth of colorectal cancer cells using low concentrations. This suggests that compounds in blackberries may have anti-tumor properties, making them a potential source of new strategies for cancer prevention or treatment. However, as this was a lab test the researchers noted that the bioactive properties may be impacted through the digestion process and interactions with the gut microbiome, so future studies are required. Additionally, that study showed that blackberry extract had a positive impact by reducing inflammation in cells when exposed to a stimulus, higher doses displayed a higher effect – suggesting greater consumption may act as a buffer to ease inflammation.

Why is this important? Our bodies naturally produce compounds such as free radicles and reactive oxidant species (ROS), they in-turn create a stimulus for our bodies to counteract. This tightly regulated immune/inflammatory system strives to maintain balance relying on sufficient resources to help. Consuming a diet rich in fruit and vegetables provide beneficial compounds to support our bodies to naturally cope with inflammation. Berries may help protect against degenerative diseases which is attributed to their antioxidant properties. Blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant capacities, with almost double that of blueberries or strawberries.

Polyphenols by their very nature are very sensitive compounds that can weaken rapidly following harvest. High cooking temperatures or exposure to light or oxygen have been shown to reduce the polyphenols in Blackberries. Processing such as Jam making can reduce the antioxidant potential and their subcategories shown to reduce or weaken from the interactions with Vitamin C. I know many people love to use berries as an ingredient for smoothies; however, researchers have discovered that the polyphenol content in berries is significantly reduced when they are blended with bananas, due to interactions between compounds found specifically in bananas and berry polyphenols. If you want to a fantastic phenolic rich smoothie check out my recipe for a delicious Blackberry Smoothie

As I mentioned research into polyphenols and their derivatives is still advancing, with guidelines yet to be universally recommended by scientists unlike micronutrients (Vitamins & Minerals). However, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in US recommended a daily intake of 400–600 mg of a polyphenol compound (flavan-3-ols) to support cardiometabolic health. This amount can typically be achieved by consuming 15-25 berries or roughly 100 grams of berries.

Blackberries have higher content of water, fibre, calcium, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin A, C and E to that of blueberries or apples. The high water and fibre content may help digestion; calcium aids our bone health, with both potassium and magnesium essential minerals for our muscles and especially heart health. Blackberries may benefit our gut by helping to lower PH levels which stabilise the microbiome environment and may have an anti-diabetic effect due to its low GI.

They have a low glycaemic index of 25, meaning they are slower to digest resulting in less blood sugar spikes which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Vitamins are essential in our diet where Vitamin A has been shown to benefit our vision, both Vitamins C and E are collaborators in countering ‘free radicles’ which damage cells that I mentioned earlier.

Some final tips, choose the more nutrient rich black variety over red variety, pluck from plants in quieter lanes as pollution from motor vehicles has been shown to degrade the polyphenol compounds and lastly choose berries at sufficient height to overcome animal pollution. I like to freeze mine, but they keep 2-4days refrigerated. Initially I freeze them flat, spaced a finger apart, in a tray so they don’t squish together, after 5 hours I transfer them to a food freezer bag, so they don’t stick together.

Typically, 100g of Blackberries with yield the following values:

Energy 53kcal / Carbohydrate 9g / Protein 1g / Fat 0g / Fibre 6.6g / Total Sugar 5.1g