Move aside blueberries, cranberries and strawberries, there’s a new contender for the title of healthiest berry for us to eat. And you won’t find it in the grocery store.
Recently published research led by University of Victoria plant biologist Peter Constabel shows that salal—a wild berry common to coastal areas of western North America—is an antioxidant superstar, packed with higher levels of health-promoting plant chemicals than most other berries out there.
Studies suggest that foods high in antioxidants have long-term benefits to human health, including a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as anti-inflammatory effects.
“Salal berries may not be widely known or consumed today, but they were a staple traditional food for northwest coastal peoples, who mashed and dried them into cakes and fruit leather for winter use,” says Constabel, who studies how and why plants produce biologically active compounds.
Continue reading at University of Victoria.
Image via University of Victoria.