The Healthiest Berries on the Planet
You've probably never eaten the healthiest berries in the world. Here's what they do for you and how to get them.
A nutritional travesty is occurring in Brazil, Vietnam, and Columbia. Every year, those countries plant enormous crops of some of the healthiest berries on the planet, and, every year, they throw most of them in the garbage.
These berries contain things that fight off heart disease and cancer which, statistically, are probably what's going to kill you. They also tamp down chronic inflammation and offer neuroprotective benefits, helping to ward off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. These same berries regulate blood sugar and have mild fat-burning benefits. They even improve circulation and lower blood pressure.
So, why do these countries grow them only to discard them? Well, mainly because each berry contains two highly profitable seeds. The farmers don't want the outer flesh; they want the seeds, which, though botanically incorrect, we call beans. Those "beans" are coffee beans. The berry is known as the coffee cherry.
Some countries save a few of these berries and make them into medicinal teas, but most are tossed. Coffee berries/cherries have a short shelf life and ferment rapidly. They can't be shipped for long distances. They can be freeze-dried, which preserves their nutritional benefits, but most coffee producers don't bother with this specialized process. The beans are valuable enough.
Luckily, not every coffee producer thinks this way. Some preserve the coffee berry so all the good stuff can be extracted, concentrated, and used in supplements. Coffee berry is one of the 18 whole-food extracts found in Biotest Superfood (Buy at Amazon).
What Makes the Coffee Berry a Superfood?
The coffee berry is rich in phenolic acids, primarily chlorogenic acids (CGAs), known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. CGAs also help protect brain cells from oxidative stress and inflammation, thwarting neurodegenerative diseases, and help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by boosting circulation and keeping blood pressure in check.
The coffee berry also contains caffeic acid, another phenolic acid, that echoes the same benefits of its cousin, chlorogenic acid. Caffeic acid is also what gives green tea and red wine some of their health benefits. Some studies suggest that caffeic acid may have antiviral properties, helping to inhibit the replication of viruses. Emerging research suggests that caffeic acid can obstruct the growth of certain cancer cells and prevent tumor formation.
Where to Get Coffee Berries
Unless you live near a coffee plantation and are friends with the owner, you're probably not going to find whole coffee berries. Luckily, freeze-drying leaves all the nutritional benefits intact. Freeze drying is a process by which water – and nothing else – is removed from fruits and vegetables, which retain virtually the identical phytochemical content, enzymatic activity, and bioactivity of fresh products.
Biotest Superfood (Buy at Amazon) contains a healthy serving of coffee berry extract (50% phenolic acids).
Superfood also includes:
- Maqui
- Raspberry (20% ellagic acid)
- Wild Blueberry (1.5% anthocyanin)
- Strawberry
- Acai Juice (1.5% phenolic acids)
- Goji Juice
- Pomegranate (40% ellagic acid)
- Broccoli Sprout (5000 ppm sulforaphane)
- Kale
- Spinach (700 ppm lutein)
- Wild Yam (20% diosgenin)
- Green Tea Extract (95% polyphenols, 40% epigallocatechin – EGCG)
- Dragon Fruit
- Orange (20% vitamin C)
- Apple
- Mango
- Tomato
What Superfood Doesn't Contain
- No added sweetener, natural or artificial.
- No food coloring.
- No added flavoring.
- No fillers or added chemicals of any kind.
- No allergenic grasses or testosterone-lowering herbs like those found in many "greens" products.
Get all the details here.
What About Caffeine?
Most of the caffeine in coffee berries is contained in the seeds, but the cherry does contain a smidge, maybe a few milligrams. Most people, even those sensitive to caffeine, won't even notice it.