Extension Connection

Berries
By Janet Hackert, Nutrition Specialist     

Strawberries, raspberries, wild berries. June is the season for berries.

Raspberries make a nutritious addition to our summer fare. A cup of fresh red raspberries has about 50% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and about 30% of the fiber a person needs in a day. Raspberries also contain potassium and magnesium and add a little calcium and Vitamin A, all for only about 65 calories. Top yogurt or cereal with berries. Try them as a salad topper to add color and a little zing.

Strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C. A half cup provides 70% of the Vitamin C an average adult would need in a day. When eaten straight, without sugar, the half cup only has 23 calories, but 8% of the recommended dietary fiber. They are also a good source of potassium and have folic acid, Vitamin B5, and magnesium.

Recent research in animals is also indicating that berries may have other health benefits. Researchers at the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University have been looking into this. They studied older rats that would approximate 65 year old humans and added various different berries to their diets. They compared these to rats that had corn starch added to their diets, as a control group for the study. They then put them through a series of tests to evaluate memory (comparable to remembering where you parked your car) and balance (comparable to us walking on slippery ice-covered sidewalk).

According to Barbara Shukitt-Hale, one of the two lead investigators, “Pretty much every berry we have studied – blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cranberries – has improved learning, memory, and balance in our aging rats.” Researchers are moving forward with studying these potential benefits in human subjects.

So remember, berries are a nutritious, tasty treat and could be a boost to memory and balance. Watch for more news on the findings of these studies.

 (Written June 5, 2009)

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Extension Connection Barb Ubben, Web Manager harrisonco@missouri.edu Last revised: 05/25/04