Black currants come aplenty when it’s summer. These very small tart berries appear black but they are actually very deep purple in color — a telltale sign that they are loaded with antioxidants! Because of their taste, black currants are commonly mixed with other fruits. They are usually added to baked goodies and beverages, and turned into jams and jellies.
Native to several different European and Asian regions, you can easily get your hands on black currants at your favorite supermarket when it’s their season. In fact, you may even come across variants that come in pink, red and white. They may taste sweeter but experts say they are not as impressive as black ones in terms of nutritive composition.
Mix them up with a few other fruit slices and use as toppings for your oatmeal and Greek yogurt. Go ahead and dunk a few pieces of black currants in the blender to come up with a scrumptious and highly nutritious smoothie. The following are some of the reason why it’s a wonderful idea to include black currants in your diet as soon as they become available:
Black Currants Keep Your Skin Wrinkle-Free
Did you know that a 100-gram serving of black currants yields more than 300 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C? That means your skin cells will be very much protected from harmful free radicals. In other words, eating black currants is an all-natural way to ward off wrinkles as well as other premature aging signs.
They Make Your Immune System Strong
Vitamin C is also very important for strengthening your immunity against invading bacteria, viruses and fungi. Especially if you are leading a very stressful life which can weaken your body’s defenses, it is a wise move to include black currants and other vitamin C-rich foods in the diet to lower your risk of catching diseases, infections and allergies.
Eating Them Helps Keep Your Eyesight Intact
Other than vitamin C, there is also vitamin A found in black currants — though in small amounts only. Despite of that, you should still consume them in order to keep your vision sharp. By the way, vitamin A is also needed to keep your skin healthy, so you should certainly munch on some black currants if you want your skin to look fantastic.
Their Consumption May Lower Heart Disease Risk
Experts highly suggest the inclusion of antioxidant-rich foods like black currants in the diet. That’s because black currants may help considerably lower one’s risk of heart disease. How? By keeping both bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure low. Such can keep you as far away as possible from having heart attack and stroke.
Black Currants May Keep You Free of Cancer
Here’s another good reason why eating black currants and other foods with plenty of antioxidants is a great idea: all those free radical-fighting molecules they contain may help prevent cancer. Everyone is well-aware that cancer is a deadly disease most especially if it’s not treated right away, so better eat black currants to be safe than sorry!
These Really Tart Berries Help Ward Off Inflammation
Inflammation inside the body is an entirely different thing from inflammation that you observe when you have a skin injury. The kind that takes place within can damage your organs and may cause diseases like diabetes and cancer. One way of keeping inflammation at bay is by regularly eating antioxidant-rich foods like black currants.
Consuming Them Helps You Lose Weight
There are a couple of reasons why eating black currants may help you enjoy a slimmer body. First, they are excellent sources of B vitamins that you need for a faster metabolic rate. Second, black currants are rich in both water and fiber, and that’s why snacking on them can keep you from overeating.
