Not only are SuJon Country Berries delicious, low in fat and low in calories, but recent research is pointing more and more to the positively healthy contribution berries can make to our diet.

The Health Benefits of Berries Are Legend...

Long established folk lore dating back many centuries, records that berries were used for their claimed medicinal benefits in alleviating a wide variety of conditions from sore throats, to cardiovascular conditions, relief of eye strain, cancers, benefits in the onset of ageing conditions, and treatment of urinary infections.

Such claims are being increasingly subjected to careful on-going scientific investigation and scrutiny and there are increasing reports that suggest real benefits can arise from consuming berries.

Today We Know...

The SuJon range of berries have intense, bright, natural colours. The colours of the berries are due to the presence of anthocyanins and these, and other naturally occurring phenolics and anti-oxidants, it has been suggested, may play a key role in the health benefits claimed in the past.

Berryfruit also contains high levels of very beneficial bioflavonoids - another powerful form of antioxidant.

Antioxidants are substances that choke off the oxygen supply to harmful agents (called free radicals) inside the body. These free radicals are a normal by-product of the process whereby oxygen is combined with our food to produce energy. They are essential in controlled quantities for vital bodily functions, but if present in excess amounts they can be harmful. Smog, cigarette smoke, food additives and other pollutants cause excess production which can lead to a variety of health problems. Excess free radicals roam the body like rampaging vandals attacking and weakening cells and tissues. It is believed they increase the effects/rate of ageing and are implicated in heart disease and cancer.

Antioxidants such as bioflavonoids, beta-carotene, Vitamins A and E, and Selenium have been reported to capture free radicals before they attack body cells.



BERRY TIPS:

Blueberries are a rich source of anti-oxidants and the impact of just half a cup of blueberry and a cup of strawberry on the measured oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC), thought to be related to health and ageing. Work is continuing in New Zealand and overseas.




Blackcurrants have long been highly regarded for their health properties. The level of vitamin C present in Blackcurrants is up to 4 times that of oranges, long regarded as a benchmark for vitamin C in fruit.





Boysenberries are a very balanced fruit to eat. They have a high level of folate, folate reduces the incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Boysenberries also have a negligible fat content.

While research continues into the health benefits of berries, the indications are that they have more to offer than just their intense, exciting flavours, colours, and the low fat and calories that make them so appealing to eat. SuJon Country-Fresh Berries have a continuing interest in this research and will update this site as information becomes available.