[follow the Wikipedia links]
In the current era of superfruits, all kinds of well-known and obscure fruits
are being proposed as "super".
Here's a "tongue-in-cheek" skeptical report on superfruits from the
Los Angeles Times on March 10, 2008 (click!), including mention of some berries covered here at the Berry Doctor's Journal, such as
açaí, goji (wolfberry) and interpreting their antioxidant values as foods,
while keeping the mysteries of ORAC in mind.
Red gooseberry (Ribes
grossularia L.)
Indian gooseberry -- a new superfruit?
click to read the industry report
Quoting
"... an extract of this gooseberry
has an ORAC value of 1770 - twice that of açaí and about 17 times that of pomegranate."
But this information is not scientifically verified yet, so we'll reserve judgment until other scientists confirm such a high antioxidant content.
What are the facts concerning gooseberry?
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A small fruit represented by about six species of the genus Ribes ("r-eye-bees") of the plant order Rosales. The gooseberry is a thorny, spreading bush which produces red, yellow, or green berries.
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The most desirable hardier types in the United States and Canada are of American parentage, or are hybrids between American and European species. Commercial culture is limited to a few states, notably Oregon, Michigan, and Washington.
Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) surrounded by its husk or "lantern"
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Rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber
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The fruit is very acidic and only a few varieties, when fully ripe, are suitable for eating fresh. The fruit may be canned or frozen for use in pies or as preserves
How many species of gooseberry are there?
- Ribes grossularia L., cousin to the red and blackcurrant
-
- Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica L. also called
Emblica officinalis, an incorrect botanical name as there is no genus Emblica; it's a species), also called amla or amalaka
- The British National Fruit Collection contains 155 varieties of gooseberry
- an older name, kiwifruit was once more commonly called the Chinese gooseberry
Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica)
Recent Medical Research on Gooseberries
Franco LA, Matiz GE, Calle J, Pinzón R, Ospina LF. Biomedica. 2007 Mar;27(1):110-5
.
Conclusions on Gooseberry
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high vitamin C and dietary fiber, but other nutrients are not well described
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volume and supply of managed cultivated crop worldwide are unknown
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mostly unknown to American, Canadian and European consumers
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medical research is at a basic level, with
phytochemical descriptions just emerging
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as
superfruits are considered rich in nutrients and/or antioxidant phytochemicals, and have strong research evidence for providing health benefits, it is premature to include the poorly studied gooseberries among them
