Blackcurrant
Latin name:
Ribes nigrum L.
Common name:
Blackcurrant
Family:
Grossulariaceae
Origin:
Eurasia
Parts of the plant used:
Fruit, leaf
Description
Blackcurrant is cultivated for its edible fruit in France (mainly in Burgundy) and in several Central European countries. Its virtues were already described in the 18th century. The fruit is rich in sugars and antioxidants (polyphenols, such as flavonoids). The leaf and buds also contain antioxidants, and as such have traditionally been used to promote renal elimination of water and to treat joint pain. As for the fruit, rich in vitamin C, its high anthocyanin content makes it a scavenger of free radicals, molecules responsible for the premature ageing of our cells.
The benefits
- Facilitates renal elimination;
- Relieves painful joints;
- Helps to fight against venous insufficiency and protects the blood vessel walls from ageing (couperose in particular).
