Blackberry Super Juice

Ingredients

12 oz. carton of Blackberries

6-8 oz. Organic Blueberry Juice*

1 Granny Smith Apple

1 Green Pear

1 Cucumber

3 stalks of Celery
3 tbsp. of Concentrated Aloe Vera (optional)

*Note on the Ingredients: despite the expense of organic juices, it is more cost-effective to buy blueberry juice as opposed to juicing the blueberries yourself.  You can always opt to buy fresh blueberries and juice them, though.

Directions

Wash all produce.  For those of us IBS sufferers who can't digest the apple skin, make sure that you peel the apple.  Juice all of the produce, and mix with the Organic Blueberry Juice.  Refrigerate for optimum taste.  Enjoy!

Makes approximately 40 oz. of juice.

Nutritional Information

Blackberries are packed with sapronins, which improve heart health, as well as disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicals.  They help build bone density, suppress appetite and enhance fat burning.  Blackberries are also rich in bioflavonoids, which studies show to have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer and anti-diarrheal activities.  Bioflavonoids also help to ease the severity of a cold, working with Vitamin C to help reduce infections.

Berries, in general, are also blood purifiers.  They contain antioxidants, which are nutrients that can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our bodies.  When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals that can cause damage.  Antioxidants work as scavengers, gobbling up the free radicals and preventing and repairing the damage that they cause.  Antioxidants protect your body from heart disease and cancer, and help prevent bladder infections, high blood pressure, fatigue, colds and even help prevent bad breath!

Blackberries are a great source for several important minerals.  They are high in iron, which transports life-sustaining nutrients through the body, along with oxygen, while removing carbon dioxide.  Iron also ensures a healthy immune system and creates energy.  An iron deficiency can cause a variety of health problems, including fatigue, irritability and headaches.  Blackberries are also rich in magnesium, which helps relax blood vessels, maintain normal nerve function and help you breathe more easily.  Magnesium is also an important mineral for mental stability.  Too little magnesium causes confusion, agitation and anxiety.  Blackberries contain folic acid (Vitamin B9), which helps reduce the impact of allergies and is instrumental in keeping your blood healthy.  A deficiency in folic acid causes a decrease in healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body.  The result is lethargy and headaches, which may cause irritability and anxiety.

The Vitamin C in blackberries increases your body’s absorption of iron, which gives you more energy and stamina.  Vitamin C also helps improve circulation, reduce infections that can cause anything from colds to pneumonia, and is important for fat metabolism, meaning that Vitamin C can actually help you slim down.

Blueberries are considered a “super food.”  They are extremely low in calories, yet packed with sapronins, which improve heart health, as well as disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamin C, minerals and phytochemicals.  Like in blackberries, the Vitamin C in blueberries increases your body’s absorption of iron, helps improve circulation, reduce infections and has many other health benefits.  Most importantly for those of us with IBS, blueberries are a good source of tannins that kill bacteria and viruses, and help with digestion!

Blueberries, like blackberries, contain antioxidants.  Specifically, the distinctive blue color of blueberries comes from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that have been demonstrated to protect against cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, bacterial infections, and fibrocystic disease.  Blueberries help to lower cholesterol, and a growing body of evidence suggests that in addition to neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory functions, anthocyanins may possess analgesic properties, which means that blueberries provide some relief from pain!  There are at least five different types of anthocyanins in blueberries, and they also contain more antioxidants than any other “super food.”

Partially due to their high antioxidant content, the North Carolina Research Campus, which encompasses eight universities working together to research health and longevity, considers blueberries to be one of the best fruits to consume to boost energy and ward off the signs of aging.  Blueberries restore antioxidant levels and reverse age-related brain decline, protecting against short-term memory loss and enhancing memory.  Blueberries are also rich in compounds that strengthen collagen structure.

Blueberries contain Vitamin E, which helps fight infections, and are also high in potassium.   Potassium is necessary for the proper functioning of your body’s cells, nerves and muscle cells, as well as helping to improve your mood and energy levels.  Deficiencies in potassium can cause weakness, fatigue, depression and anxiety.

Sources: The Wikipedia entries for anthocynanins, analgesics and bioflavonoids; The Everything Juicing Book by CaroleJacobs, Patrice Johnson and Nicole Cormier

For nutritional information on Cucumbers and Aloe Vera, see my recipe and post for Grasshopper Juice.