Blackberry Shrub 8 fl oz

Background: Our blackberries are grown by our Amish friends just North of Waterloo, New York. Like our blueberries, they mature on the dark swamp soils associated with the Montezuma muck lands. The blackberry varieties have funny Penn Dutch sounding names, one of their daughters said they were thimble berries but I thought thimble berries to be red… Ok soo….These blackberries are clean, fully ripe and free of sprays of any kind or fertilizers.  Blackberries extract beautifully and completely.

Health:  Blackberries contain numerous phytochemicals including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, salicylic acid, ellagic acid, and fiber.  Anthocyanins in blackberries are responsible for their rich dark color and their antioxidant effects. One report placed blackberries at the top of more than 1000 polyphenol-rich foods in the United States.  There is substantial evidence that regular consumption of specific polyphenols aids in brain health, boosts digestion and protects against heart disease, types 2 diabetes and even certain cancers. Ellagic acid is found in copious amounts in blackberries. A growing body of evidence suggests that the intake of Ellagic acid is associated with weight loss, reduction in obesity  and mediating obesity-related metabolic complications, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and atherosclerosis.  More work needs to be done to nail down these claims, although plenty of heuristic and folk medicine sources make the healthful claims.