The humble blackberry, a much- maligned plant many consider a nuisance, may be the best cancer-fighting food source in the world, according to two new studies on the subject.
The studies -- one a collaborative effort between Norwegian and U.S. researchers, and the other by U.S. Agricultural Research Service and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition -- ranked blackberries at the top of a long list of antioxidant-rich foods, including walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, artichokes, cranberries, coffee, raspberries, pecans and ground cloves.
Earlier studies found antioxidants reduce the risk of several life-threatening diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
According to the research, blackberries contain an antioxidant content of between four millimoles (the U.S. agricultural study) and 5.75 millimoles (the U.S.-Norwegian study) per serving -- twice the content found in blueberries, which, for years, have held the title as the best source of antioxidants.
And while the findings of the studies may prove a thorny issue with B.C. blueberry growers, it's great news to blackberry farmers in Oregon and Washington who have fought hard to get their crop recognized for its healthy advantages.
"So many people just think of them as something to hack and burn and get rid of, but they are really, really good for you," said Cat McKenzie of the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission.
In B.C., blackberries, at least those found growing wild, are mainly regarded as a pest and a threat to native vegetation, although they also provide pastime, pies and preserves for a small army of amateur pickers.
"I know there is a bit of controversy about them," said Mike Levenston, executive director of Vancouver' City Farmer, "but everyone loves to pick them."
Hugh Daubeny, research scientist emeritus and adjunct professor of plant science at UBC, recognizes the health value of the berry, but has no problem issuing a death sentence for at least two species of the plant: the evergreen and the Himalaya.
Neither species is native to North America, arriving instead with European settlers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The species have since taken a virulent hold along much of the Pacific Northwest, threatening to choke out the trailing blackberry that is native to western North America.
In that light, even a plant lover such as Daubeny has no problem pronouncing its death sentence: "It's a weed and it will take over everything."
"It frightens me," he said of the plants' vigorous spread.
Daubeny still maintains a soft spot for the sweet and juicy blackberry itself, however, fondly recalling many a blackberry tart, pie, jams and jellies.
With the decline of the trailing blackberry, Daubeny now grows a Scottish variety in his backyard known as the Loch Ness -- a user-friendly plant distinguished by its thornless stems.
dahansen@png.canwest.com
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