Large population studies looking at diet and health have shown that eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day maintains healthy immune and cognitive function, and reduces the risk of developing illnesses of ageing such as diabetes and heart disease. Detailed dietary analysis has shown that it is the anthocyanin biomolecules in fruit and vegetables that are particularly important for these health benefits. High levels of anthocyanins are found in berries such as blueberries and bilberries, however New Zealand blackcurrants have levels of anthocyanins that are 2-3 fold greater than in those berries.
Population studies looking at actual fruit and vegetable consumption have revealed that on average we eat less than three servings each day. If this is you then now is a good time to establish a habit with long term health benefits and aim to get at least five servings a day. A good estimate of a single serving of a fruit or vegetable is what fits in your hand, so think of how you could consume five handfuls of fruits and vegetables a day, each and every day.
A good way is to start with breakfast and include a handful of berries with this first meal of the day. A handful of blackcurrants is about 20-30 berries, and this number of New Zealand blackcurrants contains enough anthocyanins for the day to maintain your immunity, support an active and busy lifestyle and decrease the risk of suffering from the diseases of ageing. Fortunately frozen New Zealand blackcurrants are generally available at your local supermarket and so can be sourced year round. If you can’t find them locally then there are a number of options to buy whole New Zealand blackcurrant powder or New Zealand blackcurrant juice powder. Frozen blackcurrants or powder can be added to a breakfast smoothie such as in the recipe here, or sprinkled on to your breakfast cereal.
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