It's time for berries! Let's rediscover those little wonders of nature, which are jam- packed with more nutrients than most cultivated fruits. Wild berries are even more nutritious and you can get them for free.

High in Antioxidants and Nutrients

Antioxidants are compounds that protect against cell damage inflicted by molecules called oxygen-free radicals, which are a major cause of disease and aging. It's been found that most berries rank higher in antioxidant activities when compared to other cultivated fruits and vegetables. The USDA Human Nutrition Center ranked blueberries the #1 most antioxidant rich berry. Strawberries came second on the list. The antioxidants are usually found in the pigment that give berries their color. They help protect us from cancer naturally.

Berries also contain a higher amount of phytochemicals than most other fruits. Phytochemicals are components of plants that have been shown to help prevent certain diseases, or at least influence our health in a positive sense.

Berries are generally high in vitamin C. For example, a cup of strawberries contains as much vitamin C as a cup of orange juice. Without having to go through the list, let's just remember that berries, especially wild ones, contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytochemicals, more than most cultivated fruits.

The Fun is the Variety

The best thing about berries is that there are so many of them. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, but also blackberries, black raspberries, gooseberries... the list is endless. All types of berries have their particularities and health benefits, and we all have our favorites!

Mine are black raspberries, raspberries and blackberries. Each year it seems I discover a new type of berry that I've never seen before... and it's always an enjoyable experience.

Unfortunately...

The bad news is that most commercially grown berries are heavily sprayedwith pesticides. The ones that are notoriously bad in that regard are strawberries and raspberries. As mentioned in a previous article, those two berries are in the top-12 most contaminated produce sold in North America. For that reason, it would be wise to seek organically-grown berries, or even better, wild ones.

Where to Find Wild Berries

Wild berries are all around us. Honestly, it would be hard to imagine someone living farther than 5 or 6 miles away from a bush of wild berries. Each year, I've always made a point of seeking the wild berries in my area and I've always found some. Sometimes the supply was scanty, yes, but no matter where I lived I've always been surrounded by berries.

When I went to Oregon a few years ago, I discovered the magic of blackberries of the Northwest. It appears that the woods in that area are jam-packed with big, sweet, round blackberries during the summer. I remember picking and eating so many of them that I eventually thought to myself: there's got to be a way to feed the whole state with what's found in the woods!

The problem is that most people don't even see wild berries, or look for them, and when they do, they don't eat them! A few days ago my friend and I went to a national park nearby where I live. Suddenly, we found an endless supply of wild blueberries. As we started picking them almost greedily, many people went by and saw us picking berries.