Bitter Truths and Better Fruit with Organic Farming

For all the sweetness and joy they bring, strawberries are a notorious mainstay on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list and have taken the number one spot since 2016.¹ Tests by the USDA showed 99 percent of all conventional samples contained at least one pesticide residue, with an average of 7.8 different pesticides per sample. About 20 percent of chemical sprays used to produce strawberries in conventional farming leave a residue on the fruit; the other 80 percent are fumigants like chloropicrin used prior to planting to wipe out everything in the soil — both beneficial and parasitic.² Choosing organic not only keeps the residues at bay and out of our bodies, but also produces a more nutritious berry and supports healthy soil teeming with life. Organic berries even have a longer shelf life.³

There’s No Berry Like an Organic Berry

Take yourself back to the days of crimson-stained fingertips and raspberry finger puppets; not only are berries fun but they are also full of juicy health benefits. Berries are especially rich in antioxidant polyphenols and other important nutrients including quercetin, fiber, and vitamins C and E.⁴ These nutrients and antioxidants play important roles in the body, including supporting cardiovascular health, brain function, and protecting the body from oxidative damage.^{5 6 7} Studies show that organic berries have significantly higher concentrations of these vital nutrients compared to conventionally grown ones. Organic strawberries, for example, have about 10 percent higher antioxidant activity, vitamin C, and phenolics than conventionally grown strawberries. ³

Blueberry Memories

Protect those treasured memories of berry picking and homemade berry pies with the brain-loving power of gallic acid. Blueberries are an especially potent source of this memory- supporting antioxidant. Studies have shown that gallic acid can cross the blood-brain barrier and directly support brain function. Gallic acid stimulates the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain, and its antioxidant actions protect brain cells from oxidative damage caused by environmental stresses and natural aging processes. It also reduces inflammation. Studies have demonstrated that this powerful antioxidant can support healthy brain function and prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.^{8 9 10} So, keep your bowl of organic blueberries close at hand and those sweet memories even closer.

Make your berry snack a little more decadent with a pairing of chocolate. A study published earlier this year found that the flavanol content of cocoa combined with the anthocyanin content of strawberries are an antioxidant match made in heaven. The pair are full of antioxidants shown to enhance cognitive performance and memory.¹¹ Go ahead and devour every bit of that chocolate-covered strawberry, your brain will love it too! Just be sure to make it organic to get the most out of your berry and chocolate treats.

Try Our Berry Buttermilk Cake Recipe

Delicately sweet and studded with ripe berries, this cake is perfect for a light dessert, afternoon tea, or a special breakfast for mom.

References

1. Dirty Dozen™ fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides. Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
2. Pesticides + poison gases = cheap, year-round strawberries. Environmental Working Group. (2019, March 20). Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php
3. Reganold, J. P., Andrews, P. K., Reeve, J. R., Carpenter-Boggs, L., Schadt, C. W., Alldredge, J. R., &Zhou, J. (2010). Fruit and soil quality of organic and conventional strawberry agroecosystems. PloS one, 5(9), e12346.
4. Szajdek A, Borowska JE. Bioactive compounds and health-promoting properties of berry fruits a review. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2008;63:147–156.
5. Basu A, Rhone M, Lyons TJ. Berries: emerging impact on cardiovascular health. Nutr.   Rev. 2010;68:168–177.
6. Subash, S., Essa, M. M., Al-Adawi, S., Memon, M. A., Manivasagam, T., & Akbar, M. (2014). Neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases. Neural regeneration research, 9(16), 1557.
7. Erlund I, Koli R, Alfthan G, Marniemi J, Puukka P, Mustonen P, Mattila P, Jula A. Favorable                effects of berry consumption on platelet function, blood pressure, and HDL                                   cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87:323–33
8. Powerful memory protector identified in a common Berry. Awakening From Alzheimers. (2021, September 10). Retrieved from https://www.awakeningfromalzheimers.com/powerful-memory-protector-ident…
9. Mori, T., Koyama, N., Yokoo, T., Segawa, T., Maeda, M., et al.(2020). Gallic acid is a dual α/β-secretase modulator that reverses cognitive impairment and remediates pathology in Alzheimer mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 295(48), 16251-16266.
10. Blas-Valdivia, V., Franco-Colín, M., Rojas-Franco, P., Chao-Vazquez, A., & Cano-Europa, E. (2021). Gallic Acid Prevents the Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stresses in the Hippocampus of Adult-Onset Hypothyroid Rats. Frontiers in pharmacology, 12, 1645.
11. García-Cordero, Pino, A., Cuevas, C., Puertas-Martín, V., San Román, R., & de Pascual-Teresa, S. (2022). Neurocognitive Effects of Cocoa and Red-Berries Consumption in Healthy Adults. Nutrients, 14(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010001