By Leigh Belanger

On a recent visit to California, I got my first local berry fix of the season. In Massachusetts, where I live, the native strawberries will start creeping into the farmer's market any day now, but in California, they're already abundant, sweet, and juicy. My fiancee's mother bought four quarts of local organic strawberries, most of which I mixed with rhubarb and nectarines and baked into ruby-red pies for a party. But I set aside enough fresh berries to satisfy my cravings.

Strawberries signal the beginning of the summer fruit season - the first of many berries to come over the next few months. For lovers of fresh fruits and vegetables, this is the best time of year, the time when we can eat our fill of native sun-warmed produce every day. And when berries are in season, I try to include them in every meal, both for their taste and for their role in nutrition.

BEYOND SUPER FOODS

From strawberries to gooseberries, berries feature a range of benefits - they're loaded with antioxidants like ellagic acid, beta-carotene, and anthocyanins that help protect against certain cancers and age-related diseases. Berries are low in fat and calories, high in fiber, and full of intense, satisfying flavor. As Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., nutrition advisor for the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute for Cancer Research says, "These are powerhouse fruits."

A few years ago, blueberries burst into the media spotlight when researchers discovered their high levels of anthocyanins, an antioxidant that protects the brain as it ages. Anthocyanins are pigments that give fruits and vegetables their blue-purple tint, and although blueberry skin's deep blue hue indicates high levels of the phytochemical, it can also be found in cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and other relatives like boysenberries and loganberries.

NONSTOP NUTRITION

Berries' antioxidant benefits don't stop with anthocyanin. "There are thousands of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables," says Collins, who advocates choosing from a spectrum of berries as well as a variety of all fruits and vegetables. She notes that ellagic acid, an antioxidant that works with our bodies' enzymes to help deactivate carcinogens, is found in high levels in raspberries and blackberries.

Berries are also high in vitamins and other compounds. A cup of strawberries contains 82 milligrams of vitamin C (2 mg more than the vitamin C content of one orange), which is known to strengthen the immune system. Our bodies also absorb water-soluble vitamin C easily, which means that other antioxidants in strawberries, like anthocyanins, can hitch a ride into our systems. High levels of astringent tannins, which have been known to relieve tissue inflammation, are found in blackberries.

The tannic blackberries are known, along with raspberries, as aggregate fruit, because of the tiny droplets of fruit that compose each berry. Aggregate fruits have many seeds, and therefore some of the highest fiber content, ounce per ounce, of any berry. A cup of raspberries, for example, has 8.4 grams of fiber, compared to 3.3 grams for strawberries, which is still considered a good amount.

WEIGHT-LOSS WONDERS

Berries also are great for weight management. Their natural fiber helps you feel full as the fruit slowly digests, and "they're high in water, so you can eat a higher volume of them," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Cynthia Sass. "The fiber and the water both fill you up without adding many calories."

Berries also taste great, Sass points out. "I really recommend people savoring their berries," says Sass, who adds that taking your time while eating increases your level of satisfaction. Gulping down juice or a berry-flavored yogurt tube won't offer the same benefits, for more than one reason.

For optimal berry benefits, Sass recommends eating whole berries. "The skins and the seeds have the fiber," she says. "So [eating them] whole and intact would be ideal." Berries are famous for their roles in pies, tarts, and other baked goods, and these can be wonderful treats. But berries lose a lot of water in baking, Sass points out, and the added sugar, white flours, and fats should be avoided for those trying to manage their weight.

The same goes for juice, which is missing the fiber and often has extra calories from added sweetener.

"People should think of juice as a food, not a beverage," Sass says, and adjust their serving sizes accordingly. Small (4-ounce) servings of 100% juice are fine, she says, but "whole is better."

And while there's no substitute for fresh farm stand strawberries in the summertime, or for the pleasure of eating blueberries straight from the bush, whole berries don't have to be fresh berries. Frozen berries are just as nutritious, and some say that the antioxidants and other phytochemicals in fresh berries can degrade when shipped from afar.

Whether you choose frozen or fresh, blackberry or blue, be sure to add as many berries to your diet in as many ways as you can think of.