Berries

There is such an abundance of wild grown berries that fall into the category of 'superfoods' which are native to the Nordic lands. A number of them contain the highest amounts of vitamin C of all the berries, whilst wild grown versions are small & hardy, withstanding extreme temperatures yet survive year after year. 

Think of dark purple - almost black - blueberries (often called bilberries here, when translated into English, the non-cultivated version of the blueberry), black currants, elder berries, blackberries, cherries and aronia berries which all grow wild and are foraged for regularly by us who live here. More than half of Finns state they regularly go to the forests to forage for wild berries - a common past time for many of the population.

The red colour spectrum includes raspberries, strawberries and its less-known relative the smultron, or wild strawberry, which is famous across Scandinavia and much loved. It has a more intense flavour, although a tiny miniature version  - perhaps around the size of a currant. Red currants, of course, and the rosehip (nypon, in Swedish) and Cranberry are also hugely popular and used extensively in skincare, oils and also in food.

More unique to the Northern climate and really popular across all of the countries that make up the Nordic lands, are the yellow berries of Cloudberry (hjorton) which grow in the far north and make wonderful expensive jam. These, along with the other yellow berry havtorn, or Sea Buckthorn, have been used for thousands of years for their super highly concentrated source of vitamin C.  These are quintessentially Nordic and ensure that the native Sami who follow the reindeer herds across the artic region that includes the geographic lands of Norway, Sweden and Finland will enrich their diet with these important sources of vitamins.

They are antioxidants heroes. This fights molecules that can damage your cells; therefore berries can prevent inflammation, repair cell damage & even show significant results in the body's fight against cancer.

Your heart loves them – Nordic berries are heart-healthy food. They not only help to lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar and insulin levels but also enhance the function of your arteries. The berries improve endothelial performance which helps to control blood pressure, keeping blood from clotting so preventing heart disease.

When used in skin care these berries reduce skin ageing because they are collagen-boosting. This  makes the skin stronger and healthier. Vitamin C will assist the natural processes that the body uses to create and store collagen, in conjunction with the antioxidants and ellagic acid  polyphenols (naturally occurring in strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries and also walnuts) which block enzymes that break down collagen.