Haskap Berry is primarily used as a fresh fruit because of its very high health-giving properties.

These berries are very high in vitamin C, potassium, phenolic compounds and other antioxidants – containing 6-8% sugars, 2-3% acids, 40-170 milligrams of Vitamin C per 100 grams and from 1200 up to 1,800 biologically active polyphenols per 100grams.

According to the University of Saskatchewan the antioxidant level is far higher than pomegranates, grapes, apples, blue berries - most other types of fruit and berries you can get while still being highly palatable. They freeze particularly well and can be eaten fresh or frozen.

It seems that the early Japanese Ainu referred to them as ‘the elixir of life’. They were acclaimed for reducing the effects of glaucoma and risk of heart attack, prevention of anemia, a cure for malaria, gastrointestinal diseases, slowing the aging process and providing elasticity to the skin.

NB: Whether all that holds up today, who knows, however, it is interesting that on Hokkaido Island its juice is still sold as a ‘gold remedy for eternal youth and longevity’.

Research

According to research, Haskap berries have higher ascorbic acid and anthocyanin content than other berries known for their health-promoting benefits.

Research we found looked into the chemical content and antioxidant capacity of Haskap berries to justify the use of the fruit in health-related applications – looking into phytochemicals, Vitamin C, Phenolics and Antioxidant contents.

Phytochemicals are plant metabolites that have been related to potential positive benefits to human health. Berries are a class of fruit particularly high in phytochemicals.

It was pointed out that the flavour of Haskap berries ranges from tart-sweet to bitter, suggesting the bitterness and acidity is related to irridoid glucosides and esters of malic and citric acid.

Irriidoid glycosides are a group of compounds regarded as defence chemicals against herbivores and pathogens and have anti-feedant and growth inhibitory activities against insects.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential water- soluble micronutrient in the human diet recognised for its antioxidant activity among several functions in biological systems. The recommended intake of ascorbate for a male adult is 90mg/day.

According to the research, the Vitamin C content in Haskap Berries varies from 30.5 to 186.6mg/100g fresh weight (FW).

The report goes on to say the phenolic group is very diverse and these compounds are the main contributors to the antioxidant activity. The total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and anthocyanic (TAC) content measurements follow:

In Haskaps the TPC ranges from 140.5 to 1,142mg per 100g of FW. These values are higher than those reported for other fruit.

The flavonoids (TFC) of Haskaps varied from 54.7 to 699.3mg quercetin equivalents compared to Blueberry’s 343mg QE/100g, Strawberry 54.7mg and Raspberry 63.5mg