ShopBlackcurrants originally grown in the 1830′s and continued to be extremely popular until the 1980′s when blueberries took over and became an international culinary sensation. The antioxidant capacity of blackcurrants is extremely high with a relatively high ORAC value. It is well known that berry fruit have certain health benefits and folkloric usage is documented. Scientifically, blackcurrants have long been regarded as having considerable health benefits due to their high levels of vitamin C. Other health benefits include antioxidant activity. The strong antioxidant activity is due to high levels of phenolics, including anthocyanins, although vitamin C makes an important contribution.
When investigating health benefits of a crop it is important to determine the activity and composition of the raw fruit but also to analyse the form in which the fruit is usually consumed. Blackcurrant antioxidants appear to be very stable and remain active after processing into juice, wine and jam. It is also important to determine what happens to these components once they are ingested and whether they get to a site of action that is critical to have a protective effect.
A study published in New Zealand shows that when given antioxidants, and in this case blackcurrants at the right interval before exercise that they can help reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is when there is an imbalance between the reactive oxygen produced and the intermediates that were used to make that oxygen available to our body’s cells. When given before excercising at the right time the study shows that blackcurrants were able to complement the ability of excercise and enhance immune responsiveness to potential pathogens. The challenge for the coming years is to advance our scientific understanding to a stage where we will be able to make specific health claims for the fruit, and food or nutraceutical products containing blackcurrants.
- PROCEEDINGS OF THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL RUBUS AND RIBES SYMPOSIUM, VOLS 1 AND 2 (585): 443-449 2002
- American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative & Comparative Physiology Jul2009, Vol. 66 Issue 1, pR70-R81
