Blackberries and Raspberries – Delicious and Beneficial

Blackberries and Raspberries – Delicious and Beneficial

We planted two new bushes this season. One is a raspberry bush. It is leafing out nicely with flowers and thorns. The other is a blackberry bush, thornless and self-pollinating and also leafy and green. They both are growing nicely despite not being planted in ideal soil. They like sand and we have marl. We modified the soil as much as we could and hope they can adapt. They are in a sunny spot, which is favorable for their growth, and so far they seem to be doing well.

Berries are full of antioxidants, fiber, and Vitamin C, among other beneficial properties. While these particular berries are not on The Dirty Dozen list (those foods that are the most contaminated by pesticides), organic berries have been shown to have more of the health benefits than non-organic berries.

Dr. Andrew Weil partners with Environmental Working Group (EWG). He advocates eating organic produce but acknowledges that it is not always available and frequently is too expensive. He suggests that we choose as much as we can from the safer foods, or at least choose a mixture of the two.

Our berry bushes are organic because we planted them that way. We also shop at local organic farmstands when possible. I am glad to see that some of the larger supermarkets are including organic fruits and vegetables now as the demand increases. How we shop determines what we can buy. Let’s make our preferences for healthy food known. 

Nutrition facts for blackberries:

http://wiki-fitness.com/health-benefits-of-blackberries-nutrition/

Nutrition facts for raspberries:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/raspberry.html

The Dirty Dozen:

http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214

Dr, Weil chats about EWG’s guide:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/VDR00022/Dr-Weil-EWG-Shoppers-Guide-to-Pesticides.html