BerriHealth - February 2012
New Year, New Product

While the past year was a very exciting time for BerriHealth, we are already looking towards the future and what the new year will bring.

Looking back, we've seen over the past two years why black raspberries are just so hard to grow.  The U.S. crop really struggled with some of the crazy weather conditions we've been having.  Luckily, the Sturm family and everyone else at Sturm's Berry Farm have been a great partner for us. Not only did we still get great quality berries from them in a rough 2011, this upcoming harvest is looking to be our best ever, with even more acres of black raspberries being planted.  We are committed to making sure we always have a supply of black raspberries for those who need them.

We have also just launched a great new product!

BerriProducts' new black raspberry extract comes in a convenient 2oz bottle.  In addition, it has a screw-on cap that also functions as a dropper, allowing for easy removal of the black raspberry extract.

Each batch of extract has been tested to make sure it contains a concentrated amount of black raspberry anthocyanins, a powerful nutrient and antioxidant.  A bottle contains approximately the same amount of anthocyanins as 80 grams of BerriProducts freeze-dried powder, or about 400 whole black raspberries.  The liquid can be incorporated into many foods and also mixes very well into drinks such as water, tea, or even a carbonated beverage.

If you have any questions or feedback on the extract, we would love to hear from you.  Simply click "Reply" on this e-mail and we will get your message.
 

Special Introductory Discount on Extract
One of our focuses as a company is to make our products as affordable as possible to people who need them the most.  That is why you see such steep discounts when you buy our products in larger quantities.  We also know when a new product comes out, you want to try it out without committing to a large quantity right away.  Because of this, we are offering a discount code that will allow you to get $10 off any extract order.  That amounts to almost 30% savings on a sample order of a single bottle, and the offer will be good until March 17th, 2012.  To take advantage of this offer, enter BRELAUNCH12 as the discount code while checking out.

We truly believe in this product, and feel that you will too once you see how easy it is to use in just about any situation.


In Depth: Extract vs. Powder
We have gotten a lot of questions on the difference between the extract and our freeze-dried black raspberry powder, so we thought it would be a good idea to explain how these products are similar in some ways, yet different in others.

Our black raspberry powder is a whole black raspberry that has all the water removed and is ground into fine particles.  The great part about this is you get all the nutrients that you would find in a black raspberry with the convenience of powder and a long shelf life.

Our black raspberry extract is focused on one of the key phytonutrients in black raspberries, called anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are the focus of many studies going on at research universities around the United States and are thought to be a primary active ingredient in black raspberries.  For our customers that prepare the powder in a liquid, the extract allows for a much easier process with the same end results.



 
Customer Questions
How much is a serving?  How many fresh berries is that?
Our servings have been updated to accurately reflect how many grams of freeze-dried black raspberries are equal to a serving of fruit according to the USDA.  One serving is equal to 8 grams of freeze-dried black raspberries, which is about 40 fresh berries.

Do you add anything (like sugar or maltodextrin) to your berries before freeze-drying them?
The quick answer is no.  We pick our berries, wash them, and then individually quick freeze them to store safely before freeze-drying.  Nothing is added at any point during that process other than some water during the cleaning process.


Quick Peek: Conversions
Ever wonder how many berries are in a pack of freeze-dried powder?  How many servings of fruit are in an extract bottle?  Now you can easily find out with our new BerriCalc web application!


How Do You Use Your Freeze-Dried Black Raspberries?
This month we really wanted to highlight a great member of the carcinoid community.  Lucy has a very active blog where she discusses many health/wellness issues in great detail.  She also sent us a video last month outlining how she prepares a drink using black raspberry powder.  Take a look here.


Latest Research
Dr. Susan Mallery at Ohio State University has been doing a study on oral cancer and how applying a black raspberry gel may help.  Find out more info here.

There are also a variety of new developments in the research world on black raspberries. If you haven't already, check out our research collection on PubMed, which contains a frequently updated list of interesting research papers and studies.  You may have to click twice if you get an error the first time.