Sources of Anthocyanins
Just the other day I came across yet another study published by the American Association for Cancer Research indicating that black raspberries have cancer fighting potential as well as other benefits. Since I love berries, but where I live in Arizona no health store I’ve visited sells black raspberries, I decided to look into what makes them so great more closely. I figured there were probably similar fruits that would offer the same benefits if I couldn’t find black raspberries to juice.
I promise not to get too technical and use big words in my articles because I’m a gardener and a juicer, not a scientist, but a big thing that makes black raspberries so great is a flavonoid called anthocyanin. There, that’s my big word for the day. (My article on the health benefits of juicing explains what flavonoids are, so check that out for their definition.) Anthocyanins have shown a variety of positive health effects. Not only could they help with cancer prevention, they also seem to: reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease, improve eyesight, help those with diabetes, and fight viral activity. Keep in mind there is still more research that needs to be done to prove this completely, but it is apparent that there are some strong reasons to include this in your diet. The word anthocyanin in the Greek means purple flower. As it turns out this flavonoid is what makes dark colored plants their pretty purple, blue, or red colors. Knowing this will lead us to discover that there are many fruits and vegetables that contain a fair amount of anthocyanin.
There are many excellent food sources of anthocyanin and I’m not planning on wasting space listing all of them. I will turn your attention to the highest recorded sources of it that are readily available in your local health food’s store or farmer’s market. The chokeberry tops the list, but if you’re like me I’ve never eaten one or seen it in the store to even try it. You’ll be pleased to know the others on this list should be easy to find no matter where you live, except maybe the North Pole. The Acai berry registers a heavy concentration of anthocyanin despite not having all the research on this powerful berry done. Find this berry as a frozen pulp, in smoothies, or as a concentrate in your local health foods store. You can make some mighty tasty smoothies with this berry, check out a recipe in my juice blog. You can also buy it in bottles such as MonaVie. Concord grape and muscadine grape also pack a powerful punch and rank near the top. Raspberries, both black and red, cranberries, blueberries, and cherries are also excellent sources. The vegetable contenders are red (purple) cabbage and eggplant. Only problem with eggplant is that the skin seems to be where the anthocyanins are, and honestly, I usually peel that off. Since my focus is on juicing, I’m not going to worry about that because I have yet to concoct a juice from eggplant.
As you can see there are many wonderful sources of anthocyanins available to people even if you can’t acquire black raspberries. If you live in the northern US these berries are more available to you and are probably your best choice. For those that can’t find them if you really want them, you can visit my web site and I’ll link to some suppliers who will ship you frozen black raspberries so you can give them a try, they are really good. With all the talk of their health benefits hopefully more stores will start carrying them in the future.
The other point I wish to make is that since there are so many great natural sources of anthocyanins there is really no reason to buy genetically modified sources of it. Products such as purple tomatoes should have no place on the shelves nor any other food that has been created by taking the genes of another plant and crossing them to make a new creation. If God meant for their to be purple tomatoes, he’d have made them. Genetic engineering is risky business and sets people up for food allergies and other health issues. So, do yourself , your family, and the environment a favor by saying no to GMO’s! Enjoy the foods that are natural, which there are plenty of, and contain what your body needs and your health will be much better off! All this talk has me thirsty, I think I’ll get out my juicer and blender and make a berry smoothie now. Drink to your health!
Photo above by Blog owner – available at http://www.zazzle.com/dwebb137*
