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Blackberry - Honeydew Smoothie

Contributed by: NewsUSA

In Health, Not All Fruits Are Created Equal

(NewsUSA) - Almost every American has heard that they need to eat more fruit, but a new study suggests that some fruits offer more benefits than others.

Dr. Rui Hai Liu of Cornell University has developed cellular antioxidant activity assay testing to measure how cells absorb antioxidants from foods. In a recent study, Dr. Liu tested 25 commonly eaten fruits. His findings?

"Wild blueberry, raspberry and blueberry had lower cellular antioxidant qualities, indicating that relative to the other fruits, the phenolic antioxidants in these fruits are taken up less well by the cells or bound less tightly to the cell membrane." wrote Dr. Liu. "The antioxidant qualities of pomegranate, blackberry, cranberry, apple, peach, red grape and pear were higher, suggesting their phenolics were more closely associated with the cells than those from other fruits."

In other words, while blueberries contain many antioxidants, cells may not absorb them, so blackberries provide greater benefit. Blackberries were second only to pomegranate in the most important part of the testing, which measured how well human cells absorbed nutrients from fruits.

Blackberries also contain fiber, which make them ideal for many dieters. Fresh, frozen blackberries contain as many nutrients as fresh berries, if not more. Store frozen blackberries in your freezer, then blend them for smoothies, puree and mix them with mustard for a spicy addition to sandwiches, or reduce them in a saucepan to create tasty sauces for meat and fish.

The Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission offers this recipe for a delicious blackberry smoothie, which makes for a refreshing and healthy breakfast or light lunch:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen Marionberries
• 2 cups honeydew melon, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup lemonade
• 1/3 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Serving Size: Makes 2 Servings