Blackberries

Blackberries have been growing in the wilds of much of the world for (at-least) thousands of years, they have many different species that have been cultivated and grown in the last century to avoid thorns or increase productivity (for blackberries this is done through cross-breeding, not genetic modification). Being one of the few foods in our supermarkets today that isn’t a GMO, it can be said that blackberries are safe to eat (in this regard).

The largest producer of blackberries is in the state of Oregon, in the U.S.A, followed by Serbia and a slew of other regions as it is quite popular. Whilst being extremely delicious, it is also one of the highest anti-oxidative organisms known to man, the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value is around 5,000 per 100 grams, easily ranked as one of the most antioxidative foods on our pallet to date.

When regions in the U.S. and China were compared within their own sectors against similar regions that had lacked wild blackberry growth, it was found that incidence of cancer and death per result of strep throat were significantly decreased.. This is probably due to the high amount of anti-oxidants and phenolic acids (basically what plants rely on to fend off microbes, it’s their form of antibiotics) that blackberries have in them, such as tannins or quercetin. As one of the better examples of how antioxidants and phenolic acids can be shown to decrease activity of microbes, one could examine a lemon or a lime which takes exceedingly long to go bad (be compromised by bacteria or fungi) both thanks to its skin and its high acidity.

It should also be noted that raw blackberries have reasonable levels of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, are a good source of fiber, vitamins A-C-E-K, and zeaxanthin and lutein (which promote healthy eyesight).

Though they are expensive, so I personally wouldn’t be buying them from the grocery store for several dollars for a small container of them that go by in one sitting.. They do grow wild however, so it would be wise to scout for them when you have the opportunity to do so if they’re known to grow in your climate/region.

Native American’s used blackberries extensively, the roots were often used for diarrhea or intestinal blockages/infections, whilst the fruit would be used for sore throats and stomach discomfort.. Blackberries are highly anti-bacterial, they are the fastest way to cure a throat infection, better than drinking hot liquids gargling lugol’s solution (iodine) or any other variety of methods.. They were adopted rapidly by settlers, and was used in American folk medicine as-well.. On the opposite side of the globe in parts of Asia, the fruit was used for the same purpose.

Unfortunately from what I’ve read the fruit itself should only be applied for things like sore throats, or an upset stomach onset by infection.. It is however the best possible treatment for that particular ailment, so I suppose it’s still a useful summary, thanks for reading..

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