An extensive study this week by the Scottish Crop Research Institute confirms that Black Currants, a once illegal berry in the U.S., have higher levels of antioxidants and total vitamins and minerals than virtually any other fruit, including blueberries and pomegranates, for health-giving qualities.

Researcher Dr. Derek Stewart, the head of the Quality, Health and Nutrition Programme, who compared the properties of the 20 most popular fruits said: “The motivation for the research came from the huge publicity surrounding superfoods, coupled with lack of consumer knowledge. We wanted to find out which fruit came out on top.” Stewart looked at whole fruit and their extracts compared to disease models. He also examined compositional data on energy, fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, as part of the RDA.

“New superfoods may be seen as trendy but this is a fruit which has incredible levels of vitamins and minerals. The beneficial composition and impact in health-related studies mean that blackcurrants can now claim to be the No 1 superfruit.”

In terms of antioxidants, Black Currants rank first. They have more vitamin C than any other fruit and are the highest in a type of antioxidant called anthocyanins.

The anthocyanins in Black Currants have shown to be beneficial in warding off ailments including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease (2006 Tuft’s University Study), diabetes and high blood pressure. Black Currants have been used since the middle-ages to treat bladder stones, liver disorders, coughs, chest ailments, urinary problems, and skin conditions.

While Black Currants (a different fruit from those raisiny impostors) are much loved the world over, they were virtually unknown in the U.S., because commercial cultivation was banned by Congress in 1911 due to a disease believed to kill white pines. Greg Quinn, founder of The Currant Company and the acknowledged expert on currants in the U.S., led the successful campaign to overturn the law in NY in 2003. Other states have since followed.