Health Benefits of Wild Berries

wild berries on wooden table with notebook

Most berries are loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, strengthen the integrity of our blood vessels and capillaries, fight cancer, and improve brain function.

Healthy Wild Berries

Some berries have "star" qualities that set their nutrition apart from the rest.

  • Black Elderberries

    Black elderberries vend off oncoming cold and flu viruses.

  • Cranberries

    Cranberries protect against urinary tract infections.

  • Lychee Berries (Goji Berries)

    Lychee berries are loaded with prostate-protective lycopene and may also help protect us from the effects of aging. Cherries decrease pain and gout.

  • Blueberries and Bilberries

    Blueberries and bilberries are good for eye health, mental cognition, and anti-aging effects.

  • Hawthorn Berries

    Hawthorn berries reduce blood pressure and tonify the cardiovascular system in almost every way possible.

  • Honorary Berries

    I often consider dark purple grapes, pomegranates, rooibos red tea, and hibiscus flowers as honorary berries in my repertoire because they have such similar and complementary properties.

Oxymels

Of course you can, and should, eat berries daily.

An oxymel serves as a delicious way to preserve berries for daily dosing. Simply infuse dried and/or fresh berries in a blend of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar and honey. Think of it as sweet-tart fruit meeting a sweet-tart liquid.

Feel free to experiment with different berries depending on what you have on hand. The ingredients can be found in most natural food stores that sell good, loose medicinal herbs in bulk.

Contributor

Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG)

Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG), is the best-selling, award-winning author of Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self Care and Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies.

Maria’s a registered professional herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and a graduate of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine and Rosemary Gladstar’s Sage Mountain.

Learn more about Maria and herbs at Wintergreen Botanicals.