Learning About the Fruit that Provides Happiness, Health, and Vitality

Fruits are important for maintaining a healthy diet as it gives the essential nutrients needed for the body. Out of the many fruits berries have attracted the taste buds of people as it gives them sweet or sour taste. Though people consider many fruits as berries, but the botanical definition of the fruit is different. So, it will blow people’s mind to know that many fruits that are called berries do not have the botanical definition of a berry. The scientific definition of a berry is that it is a fruit that is developed from the single flower ovary. The outer wall of the ovary develops into the fleshy portion of the fruit that is edible. The list of berries according to the botanical definition are;

Grapes
Tomatoes
Banana
Acai Berries

The Diverse, Unexplored World of Berries

Everyone likes berries as it is most consumed fruit worldwide, but no one knows the classification of the fruit.There are listof berries over 50 varities that people can use in their daily life, but not aware of the botanical definition.Berries are small fruits that contains a fleshy interior with/without seed that people can consume. The different varieties of berries are

Drupe
Drupelets
Multiple Fruits
Pome Fruits

Drupe

The drupe (stone fruit) has a hardened shell that is surrounded by endocarp. The endocarp are the inner layer of fruit that is enclosed by the fleshy part. The fleshy portion of the fruit is edible and consumed by people. The examples of drupe are;

Cherries
Gooseberry
Plums

Drupelets

The drupelets develop from the merged by several ovaries from a single flower. The drupelets are aggregate fruits, so the common examples of edible berries are;

Blackberries
Dewberries
Raspberries

Multiple Fruits

The cluster of flowers develops into individual fruits and collectively ripen into a mass. The single mass of fruit develops from different flowers. Some multiple fruits are;

Pineapples
Figs
Mulberry

Pome Fruits

The pome fruits have a structure that has segregates the ovary and the seeds. The small pomes are called berries. The common pome fruits are;

Apples
Pears

Berries for Consumption

The berries are mostly edible and safe for human consumption. There are certain varieties of berry that is not safe for human ingestion. The poisonous berries that cause harm to the body are;

Deadly Nightshade
Pokeweed

The varieties of mulberry like red mulberry, white mulberry, and elderberry are fatal to humans when consumed unripe. The ripe version of the fruits is safe to use. Edible berries are healthy for the body as they have several nutrients that can enrich the body. Berries are the basic composition of several commercial products eaten world-wide like;

Jams
Preserves
Pies
Cakes
Baked Goods
Beverages

Berries are good for the health as it contain antioxidants properties that have high value for the human body. The have the following medical benefits;