Blackberries have been used by many different ethnic groups of people for many different purposes….at least since the time of the ancient Greeks.
Blackberry tea made from the leaves, roots, and bark was used to treat oral problems, such as bleeding gums, canker sores, sore throats, anf mouth ulcers.
The roots have astringent properties that have been used to treat digestivce problems—such as diarrhea and stomach ulcers.
Blackberries have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties.
So let’s first look at the nutritional value in half a cup of blackberries.
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Nutritional Value
A half cup serving of blackberries roughly contains about 430 calories.
This same half cup also contains about half of a gram of fat, zero cholesterol, a miligram of sodium, about ten grams of carbohydrates.
Blackberries contain significant amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber…actually five grams of dietary fiber, or 25% RDV. Blackberries are also a good source of pectin, a type of soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels.
As far as vitamins, this same half cup of blueberries contains…
- Vitamin A…214 IU
- Vitamin B1…thiamine…2%…0.020 mg
- Vitamin B2…riboflavin…2%…0.026 mg
- Vitamin B3…niacin…4%…0.646 mg
- Vitamin B6…2%…0.030 mg
- Vitamin B9…folate…6%…25 μg
- Vitamin C…25%…21.0 mg…It has been documented that as far back as 1771 to treat scurvy.
- Vitamin E…8%…1.17 mg
- Vitamin K…19%…19.8 μg
In addition to these vitamins, blackberries also contain many minerals that we need, such as…
- Calcium…3%…29 mg
- Iron…5%…0.62 mg
- Magnesium…6%…20 mg
- Phosphorus…3%…22 mg
- Potassium…3%…162 mg
- Sodium…0%…1 mg
- Zinc…6%…0.53 mg
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Antioxidants
But out main concern right now is antioxidants…and how we can get the most antioxidants into our daily diet…
And before you start adding antioxidants to your diet, you must first know what antioxidants are…
