Black Currant Benefits For Skin:
1) Black Currants have anti-aging properties.
They are rich in antioxidants which protect your body from aging. It helps to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.
2) Black Currants contain powerful phytochemicals which fight free radicals and improve cellular health.
These chemicals may prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and many other diseases.
3) Black Currants are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K.
They provide essential nutrients to your body. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that fights off free radical damage. It improves blood circulation and prevents clogged arteries. Vitamin E protects against oxidative stress and helps maintain healthy skin cells.
4) Black Currants contain high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin which help protect your eyesight from age related macular degeneration (AMD).
Lutein and zeaxanthin are pigments found in certain plants such as carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli and blackcurrants.
5) Black Currants contain flavonoids which act like natural sunscreen agents protecting your skin from sunburn.
Flavonoids protect your skin from UV radiation. Studies show that flavonoid intake reduces the risk of developing melanoma by up to 50%.
6) Black Currants contain essential minerals that keep your body energized and prevent muscle cramps.
They contain important nutrients like iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium.
7) Black Currants contain natural sugar which provide instant energy to your brain.
They also contain special sugars that are transported straight to the liver where they are converted to glucose and released into the bloodstream. This provides more sustained energy to your body.
Sources & references used in this article:
Potential of evening primrose, borage, black currant, and fungal oils in human health by DE Barre – Annals of nutrition and metabolism, 2001 – karger.com
Black currant polyphenols: Their storage stability and microencapsulation by AM Bakowska-Barczak, PP Kolodziejczyk – Industrial crops and products, 2011 – Elsevier
Anthocyanins from Black Currants (Ribes nigrum L.) by R Slimestad, H Solheim – Journal of agricultural and food …, 2002 – ACS Publications
Phenolic Compounds in Berries of Black, Red, Green, and White Currants (Ribes sp.) by K Määttä, A Kamal-Eldin, R Törrönen – Antioxidants and Redox …, 2001 – liebertpub.com
Anthocyanin-Rich Black Currant Extract and Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside Have Cytoprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Properties by J Desjardins, S Tanabe, C Bergeron… – Journal of Medicinal …, 2012 – liebertpub.com
Anthocyanins profile, total phenolics and antioxidant activity of black currant ethanolic extracts as influenced by genotype and ethanol concentration by V Nour, F Stampar, R Veberic, J Jakopic – Food chemistry, 2013 – Elsevier
Flavonol content varies among black currant cultivars by TP Mikkonen, KR Määttä, AT Hukkanen… – Journal of agricultural …, 2001 – ACS Publications
Optimisation of extraction of phenolics and antioxidants from black currant leaves and buds and of stability during storage by J Tabart, C Kevers, A Sipel, J Pincemail, JO Defraigne… – Food Chemistry, 2007 – Elsevier
Anthocyanin−Flavanol Condensation Products from Black Currant (Ribes nigrum L.) by GJ McDougall, S Gordon, R Brennan… – Journal of Agricultural …, 2005 – ACS Publications
