Berries

Sshhh! Don’t tell your kids that berries are more than just a tasty snack: they also contain bioflavonoids, a family of water-soluble nutrients found in many fruits and vegetables. This group of pigments is what adds color to the skins, stems and leaves of nature’s plants.

The human body doesn’t produce bioflavonoids, so our body’s stores must be replenished by diet or supplements. The bioflavonoids are cousins to vitamin C, as the two reinforce each other’s healing actions within the body. Just as bioflavonoids empower vitamin C to greater medicinal feats, vitamin C prevents bioflavonoid destruction. Among other things, they also work together to maintain capillary health.

Common bioflavonoids include quercetin, rutin, hesperidin, hesperetin and catechin. When used in combination, they are effective treatments for athletic injury and pain. Individually, quercetin’s antioxidant properties prevent allergies and asthma. Quercetin can also reduce diabetic complications such as cataracts and neuropathy.

Rutin helps counteract pregnancy-induced varicose veins, hemorrhoids and gingivitis. Besides berries, good food sources include black currants, cherries, grapes, oranges, plums, cabbage, parsley and rose hips.

These recipes are favorites with all ages in our house.

Sparkling Berry Punch

Cheese Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Blushing Mary Pudding

Baked Camembert With Cranberry Preserves

Rote Gruetze (Mixed Berry Jelly)

Strawberry Milkshake

Crepes Suzette

Blackberry Pie

Berry Muesli