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A recent study has discovered that the wild Salal berry, which is native to Western Canada, may be more powerful in promoting healthy antioxidants than blueberries.
The Salal berry carries five times the concentration of tannins as well as 1.5 times the anthocyanin as the popular blueberry. These two antioxidants are known to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer. The little berries also have anti-inflammatory effects.
The study believes that the Salal berry carries such a high level of tannins is because of the antimicrobial effects, which helps to sustain the berry throughout winter.
Salal berries are popular in the pacific northwest and are often used in cakes and fruit leathers. However, the berries only grow in the wild, and it is unlikely that you will be able to pick them up as readily as blueberries.
The study was led by Peter Constabel, a plant biologist at the University of Victoria; you can read more about what they discovered, here.