Blackberry Healing Elements

The plant known as the blackberry is a well known shrub. Blackberries have been gathered from the wild for thousands of years in Europe, where the delicious berries are used as food and in preparing different dishes. Blackberries are prepared into jellies, pies, made into wine and vinegar. The juicy berries are also eaten as such when they are in season. Blackberry abounds in vitamin C and the fruit is a very good source for essential dietary fiber. The ancient Greeks were also familiar with blackberries and they considered it to be very good for treating gout.

The barren shoots on the British Rubi as blackberries are also called was reputed as being capable of curing problems such as hernia or rupture. Also known as American bramble it seems to be used to treat boils. In some parts of Britain, the blackberry is called “Scaldhead.” This peculiar name has been sourced either from the eruption as scaldhead that afflicts children who have eaten large amount of berries because the over ripe fruit is indigestible and can cause such symptoms. The flowers and fruit were employed in the treatment of venomous bites.

Herbal tea prepared from the leaves of the blackberry has traditionally been much valued as a home remedy for treating sore throats and prolonged diarrhea. Bleeding gums and other related problems are treated by chewing of the fresh blackberry leaves. Another long-standing remedy for feverish colds affecting a person is the use of blackberry vinegar.

Herbalists often suggest blackberry leaf as a general herbal astringent. It is used for treating inflammation in the throat and in the mouth and in the treatment of a non-specific acute diarrhea. Herbal tea mixtures often contain the dried or fermented leaves of the blackberry. The astringent properties of blackberry contained in its leaves are also recognized by herbalists. The pain during labor was traditionally treated by drinking raspberry tea.

Blackberry leaf contains about 10% hydrolysable tannins (gallotannins, dimeric ellagitannins) and flannoids. Gallotannins, ellagitannins and flannoids have also been found in raspberry leaf. The herbal tea prepared from 1.5 gram of either blackberry or raspberry leaves can be taken thrice daily as a general herbal treatment.

Currently, there are no government guidelines for consumers on how many antioxidants to consume and what kind of oxidants to consume in their daily diet, as is in the case with vitamins and minerals. A major barrier to such guidelines is lack of consensus among nutrition researchers on uniform antioxidant measurements. For now, USDA officials continue to encourage to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for better health. Today, the top 20 fruits, vegetables and nuts as best sources of food antioxidants include blackberry. It is ranked number 8.