Thursday, April 03, 2008
Anti-Cancer
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The time is ripe to try fresh blackberries – a sweet juicy fruit redolent of summer available year round and recently identified as one of nature’s top cancer fighters. Studies show blackberries have the highest antioxidant content per serving of any food tested and have important cancer fighting properties. What is more, fresh blackberries will be in peak production in April and May and available throughout the United States in supermarkets and club stores.
A recent study from the University of Oslo printed in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition identified blackberries as containing the most antioxidants per serving of any of 1500 foods tested. In a study published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found that a compound in fresh blackberries arrested the development of skin tumors, reduced the growth of lung cancer cells and inhibited their spread to other organs. More research is occurring at universities around the world to identify the mechanisms at work that give blackberries their nutraceutical edge.
Ohio State, a recipient of Federal grants to study the health properties of blackberries, even ran a television ad during the most recent Michigan-Ohio State football game featuring a student talking about research into the cancer fighting effects of blackberries! Buckeyes know blackberries. Shouldn’t you?
Sun Belle Inc., a leading marketer and distributor of SunBelle blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and red currants, reports that ample supplies of the luscious Tupi variety blackberries will be reaching supermarket shelves this spring, well in advance of home-grown blackberries in July and August. Actually, world class berry farms in Michoacan, Mexico produce blackberries from October through mid June, allowing Americans to enjoy a year-round fresh supply of these wonder berries.
It’s not surprising that blackberries are receiving recognition as the most healthful of all berries. Like the other members of the berry patch, blackberries are natural health foods long known for their medicinal values. Throughout history parts of the plant have been prescribed for a variety of ills in the form of teas, poultices, essences and as fresh fruit. It was even said that picking blackberries under a full moon protected individuals from evil spells!
This spring you can enjoy dessert delights with family and friends such as Blackberry Tart Delight and Blackberry Mousse. Or you can steal a march on summer by trying Chicken Salad with Blackberries, Endive Salad with Blackberries or even Fettuccine with Blackberries. Or simply pour blackberries into a bowl and enjoy this wonderful fruit au natur.
Sun Belle Inc., founded by Janice L. Honigberg in 1986, has distribution centers in Melrose Park, Illinois, Miami, Florida, Washington, DC, and Oxnard, California and ships fresh blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and currants worldwide from farms in Chile, Mexico, Argentina and the U.S.