berries

Berry definition

Berries are fruits that are produced from a single ovary. In spoken English “berry” is just a small edible fruit, that is typically sweet or sour, juicy and round. The scientific definition though is a bit more comprehensive, including fruits that normally would not be considered a berry such as tomatoes or even bananas.

Examples of berries

Examples of botanical berries are: grapes, blue berries, strawberries, bananas, cranberries, currants, elderberries, tomatoes, wolf berries, watermelons, etc.

Berries that are not berries

Some examples of fruit that are considered berries by people, but are not berries by the scientific definition: acai, plums, peaches, cherries, avocados, sea-buckthorn among others.
Berry benefits & nutritional profile

Organic berries

If we have a good recommendation is to always get organic berries. Why? Because of the high value added of berries and seasonality, (non-organic) growers typically use more pesticides in berries than any other fruit. Obviously if the berries are wild harvested this theory does not apply!

Potential health benefits of berries

Berries are typically more colorful than other fruits for two reasons: the first is antioxidants (natural plant pigments) present in the skin and seeds. And the second is to make it more attractive to animals, yes Mother Nature thinks about everything! Berries are known for having a very high antioxidant score compared to other fruits, and that is one of the main reasons they are also called “super fruits”. These natural pigments carry phytochemicals and flavonoids that may help to prevent many diseases.

The acai difference

When it comes to numbers, acai is a real powerhouse in antioxidant potential (ORAC). Not only that, but it also provides omegas fatty acids, with basically no sugar content.