This article explores the many health benefits of foods that contain anthocyanins, offering recipe ideas and info on the functions and benefits this compound provides for your garden crops
Black beans are rich in delphinidin but are also high in oxalates. India uses low oxalate delphinidin rich Kala chana/ black chickpeas. A health strategy that is talked about for maintaining beautiful hair is to soak a cup of black chickpeas overnight and then drink the soak water, and just eat the soaked beans raw maybe? That part was mentioned but probably varies. I tried it and the soak water is pretty delicious and brown in color.
Addition: Delphinidin is an anthocyanin that is pH sensitive and it will be more pink or more blue depending on acidity level. (pink-more acidic).
Black beans are rich in delphinidin but also high in oxalates. Black chickpeas are low in oxalate and rich in delphinidin. They are popular in India and have a higher fiber content than chickpeas that we are used to in the US. The brown peel is where the pigments are located and it is higher fiber - chewier than not-brown US chickpeas. Recipe: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/kala-chana/
Regarding pH and delphinidin:
“pH-mediated degradation of delphinidin: in low pH, 1–2 red colored flavylium cations are observed, in alkaline pH 8–10 blue-color quinonoidal bases, in pH 4–6 colorless carbinol pseudobase and chalcone, and in pH > 7, degradation products of delphinidin, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde and gallic acid, are observed (45, ...” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8969030/
Thanks for the detailed comment and helpful info Jennifer.
I do love chickpeas and I will give growing them a try. One reason I prefer runner beans and Hokkaido black soy beans over legumes such as Chickpeas is that chickpeas require a lot more square footage in the garden to produce a good amount of beans. I have limited square footage on our little urban suburban lot so I grow climbing beans vertically to maximize efficiency.
I always soak, sprout and/or ferment my beans before eating so oxalates are not an issue for me. Fermentation of grains and legumes leads to a significant reduction in oxalate, phytate and lectins. When combined with soaking, sprouting, and cooking this reduces oxalate (and other anti-nutrient) levels to less than ten percent. Fermentation also increases bioavailability of calcium, phosphorous and iron.
Here is one of my favorite recipes for fermenting my homegrown black beans :
Wow, that truly is an extensive article on anthocyanins, impressive! I noted down a list of plants still missing in my garden, black goji truly sounds fantastic (and your fermentation experiments!) among many others. And I never thought about how anthocyanins are helping the plants be more resilient, just like they help us! How wonderful, thank you again
Greetings! Do you mean "Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary"? or do you mean my first book "Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table" ?
I do not have a set timeline for publishing Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary. I want to do a lot of experimenting, research, learning from herbalists, mycologists, soil scientists, regenerative agroforestry farmers and indigenous forest gardening experts so that I can make sure the book is well rounded and takes a step back to look at the processes involved from a holistic perspective.
My first book however, is available (while supplies last, I am down the the last 50 copies from the first printing run now).
This was an excellent read… just one question for now. What is a Saskatoon berry? Around here (Appalachian foothills) most people refer to Amelanchier canadensis and A. angustifolia both as serviceberry, so I thought it might be a variation on that or huckleberry.
Their growth habit is usually more bushy than tree like (reaching maybe 9 feet tall max) and the berries are a darker purple color than Amelanchier canadensis Service berries. I also find that Amelanchier alnifolia is more tolerant of partial sun so it is great for getting a nutrient dense crop on the north side of the house.
Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022Liked by Gavin Mounsey
Thank you… I’m always on the lookout for shade and moisture-tolerant varieties! Earlier this fall I planted some camassia, a flower with edible bulbs whose native range is further northwest.
Agreed! Oh that is a blessing, I have to go quite a bit north of where we are before I find enough intact ecosystem to harvest wild blueberries. I used to pick them every year when I lived in BC, I do miss it sometimes.
Such lovely photographs ! Thanks for the great article Gavin... you might be interested in making api from your purple corn (dried) ... very popular breakfast drink in bolivia, excellent for warming up and getting a shot of energy to start one's day... served at all the markets in the morning. here's a recipe for it: https://www.boliviabella.com/api-morado.html
I certainly am interested, I had some friends from South America that told me about a similar drink but I had forgotten about it until now, thanks for the link! :)
I will add that link to the article above and also add some pics of our own take on xocolatl (as we add ground purple corn to that drink as well).
Our garden pics make my mouth water and my heart yearn for summer days. Even though most of what you have written in this article you have previously taught me, there were still several notes that were new. I appreciate your ongoing desire to continuously research and learn more about Mother Earth's garden and share your knowledge with all others. You are my definition of a hero. And i am beyond grateful for you. How blessed i feel to be your wife. I have learned so much from you about foraging, preserving, growing and i know that not only will we always have a delicious food supply, it will be the most healthy too! ❤️
You inspire me to keep learning, co-creating and exploring through your open hearted presence and loving support in my life. The way you look into and connect with the spirit realm to access knowledge and share it with others is profoundly important now as I truly believe that 'In', is the only way 'Out'. You invite people to look within and tend the garden in their heart, mind and spirit, and this is where lasting change must begin if the seeds we plant in our gardens and communities are to have a solid foundation for persevering through the storm ahead. Together we provide medicine and knowledge that is holistic (for it nurtures the spirit as well as the body). Thank you for sharing your life with me.
Thanks for reading and for the thoughtful comment.
I am so glad you brought up tree sap and bark as this is something I almost totally overlooked in my article (despite having several friends who have told me about the tinctures and remedies they make with antioxidant rich extracts of various tree barks and saps).
Black Goji (Lycium ruthenicum) berries are probably our most potent source of proanthocyanidins in our garden. I have a friend with access to mass spec equipment at a lab and so have tested the juice of various fruits/berries from our garden in the past. The Black Goji berry juice came in with an OPC (proanthocyanidin) content of 3740mg/100 g. I would be curious to compare the concentration that is present in "dragon's blood", did you happen to come across any studies that measured that in your research?
It sounds like it offers a number of benefits which would be well suited as part of a topical salve. Can you suggest any companies that are regeneratively cultivating/harvesting sangre de drago (or at the very least 'sustainably' harvesting) ?
Based on your comment (and the fact that this tree's sap contains said beneficial compounds) and based on the fact that I know various conifers that are native to Canada and the US have a range of beneficial compounds found in the foliage I speculated that their bark/sap might offer similar benefits and after a quick bit of research I was pleasantly surprised to find that my suspicions were correct! :) Apparently, a number of conifers that grow in our local area (and further north in the Boreal forest) have a high concentrations of proanthocyanidins, anthocyanin and other polyphenols in their bark.
Oooooo, aaaaah.
Black beans are rich in delphinidin but are also high in oxalates. India uses low oxalate delphinidin rich Kala chana/ black chickpeas. A health strategy that is talked about for maintaining beautiful hair is to soak a cup of black chickpeas overnight and then drink the soak water, and just eat the soaked beans raw maybe? That part was mentioned but probably varies. I tried it and the soak water is pretty delicious and brown in color.
Addition: Delphinidin is an anthocyanin that is pH sensitive and it will be more pink or more blue depending on acidity level. (pink-more acidic).
Black beans are rich in delphinidin but also high in oxalates. Black chickpeas are low in oxalate and rich in delphinidin. They are popular in India and have a higher fiber content than chickpeas that we are used to in the US. The brown peel is where the pigments are located and it is higher fiber - chewier than not-brown US chickpeas. Recipe: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/kala-chana/
Regarding pH and delphinidin:
“pH-mediated degradation of delphinidin: in low pH, 1–2 red colored flavylium cations are observed, in alkaline pH 8–10 blue-color quinonoidal bases, in pH 4–6 colorless carbinol pseudobase and chalcone, and in pH > 7, degradation products of delphinidin, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde and gallic acid, are observed (45, ...” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8969030/
Thanks for the detailed comment and helpful info Jennifer.
I do love chickpeas and I will give growing them a try. One reason I prefer runner beans and Hokkaido black soy beans over legumes such as Chickpeas is that chickpeas require a lot more square footage in the garden to produce a good amount of beans. I have limited square footage on our little urban suburban lot so I grow climbing beans vertically to maximize efficiency.
I always soak, sprout and/or ferment my beans before eating so oxalates are not an issue for me. Fermentation of grains and legumes leads to a significant reduction in oxalate, phytate and lectins. When combined with soaking, sprouting, and cooking this reduces oxalate (and other anti-nutrient) levels to less than ten percent. Fermentation also increases bioavailability of calcium, phosphorous and iron.
Here is one of my favorite recipes for fermenting my homegrown black beans :
https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/amaranth-seed-trail-of-tears-and
Some pertinent data:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6261201/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0963996994900965
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157522003039#:~:text=Soaking%20and%20cooking%20in%20water,the%20oxalate%20%E2%80%93%20calcium%20binding%20capacity.
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2012/978709/
- https://www.scielo.br/j/cta/a/7djGHGrfJ6W5kqzVSxHPBhB/?format=pdf&lang=en
Thanks again for the informative and detailed comment.
Thanks for the detailed response. Good info. I thought you might be interested in the extra bean type for your book.
Wow, that truly is an extensive article on anthocyanins, impressive! I noted down a list of plants still missing in my garden, black goji truly sounds fantastic (and your fermentation experiments!) among many others. And I never thought about how anthocyanins are helping the plants be more resilient, just like they help us! How wonderful, thank you again
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the article.
I appreciate the thoughtful comment.
When will your new book be available?
Greetings! Do you mean "Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary"? or do you mean my first book "Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table" ?
I do not have a set timeline for publishing Stacking Functions in the Garden, Food Forest and Medicine Cabinet : The Regenerative Way From Seed To Apothecary. I want to do a lot of experimenting, research, learning from herbalists, mycologists, soil scientists, regenerative agroforestry farmers and indigenous forest gardening experts so that I can make sure the book is well rounded and takes a step back to look at the processes involved from a holistic perspective.
My first book however, is available (while supplies last, I am down the the last 50 copies from the first printing run now).
You can learn more about that book and order a copy here: https://recipesforreciprocity.com/
thanks for your interest in my work :)
This was an excellent read… just one question for now. What is a Saskatoon berry? Around here (Appalachian foothills) most people refer to Amelanchier canadensis and A. angustifolia both as serviceberry, so I thought it might be a variation on that or huckleberry.
Hi Jean! :)
Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia) are closely related to Serviceberries but their native range is more westward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier_alnifolia#/media/File:Amelanchier_alnifolia_range_map_1.png
Their growth habit is usually more bushy than tree like (reaching maybe 9 feet tall max) and the berries are a darker purple color than Amelanchier canadensis Service berries. I also find that Amelanchier alnifolia is more tolerant of partial sun so it is great for getting a nutrient dense crop on the north side of the house.
Thanks for the comment.
Thank you… I’m always on the lookout for shade and moisture-tolerant varieties! Earlier this fall I planted some camassia, a flower with edible bulbs whose native range is further northwest.
My pleasure, incase you missed it I recently posted an article dedicated to Service and Saskatoon berries: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/serviceberry?
Another excellent post, Gavin!
Thank you :)
Food Heals! Thx for the more than comprehensive article. I'm lucky to have wild Maine blueberries growing here, and so much more. Great photos!
Agreed! Oh that is a blessing, I have to go quite a bit north of where we are before I find enough intact ecosystem to harvest wild blueberries. I used to pick them every year when I lived in BC, I do miss it sometimes.
Thanks for the kind words :)
Such lovely photographs ! Thanks for the great article Gavin... you might be interested in making api from your purple corn (dried) ... very popular breakfast drink in bolivia, excellent for warming up and getting a shot of energy to start one's day... served at all the markets in the morning. here's a recipe for it: https://www.boliviabella.com/api-morado.html
Thank you Nance. You are most welcome.
I certainly am interested, I had some friends from South America that told me about a similar drink but I had forgotten about it until now, thanks for the link! :)
I will add that link to the article above and also add some pics of our own take on xocolatl (as we add ground purple corn to that drink as well).
Our garden pics make my mouth water and my heart yearn for summer days. Even though most of what you have written in this article you have previously taught me, there were still several notes that were new. I appreciate your ongoing desire to continuously research and learn more about Mother Earth's garden and share your knowledge with all others. You are my definition of a hero. And i am beyond grateful for you. How blessed i feel to be your wife. I have learned so much from you about foraging, preserving, growing and i know that not only will we always have a delicious food supply, it will be the most healthy too! ❤️
Thank you my love <3
You inspire me to keep learning, co-creating and exploring through your open hearted presence and loving support in my life. The way you look into and connect with the spirit realm to access knowledge and share it with others is profoundly important now as I truly believe that 'In', is the only way 'Out'. You invite people to look within and tend the garden in their heart, mind and spirit, and this is where lasting change must begin if the seeds we plant in our gardens and communities are to have a solid foundation for persevering through the storm ahead. Together we provide medicine and knowledge that is holistic (for it nurtures the spirit as well as the body). Thank you for sharing your life with me.
love this so much
thanks for reading, I am glad you enjoyed the article :)
Thanks for reading and for the thoughtful comment.
I am so glad you brought up tree sap and bark as this is something I almost totally overlooked in my article (despite having several friends who have told me about the tinctures and remedies they make with antioxidant rich extracts of various tree barks and saps).
Black Goji (Lycium ruthenicum) berries are probably our most potent source of proanthocyanidins in our garden. I have a friend with access to mass spec equipment at a lab and so have tested the juice of various fruits/berries from our garden in the past. The Black Goji berry juice came in with an OPC (proanthocyanidin) content of 3740mg/100 g. I would be curious to compare the concentration that is present in "dragon's blood", did you happen to come across any studies that measured that in your research?
It sounds like it offers a number of benefits which would be well suited as part of a topical salve. Can you suggest any companies that are regeneratively cultivating/harvesting sangre de drago (or at the very least 'sustainably' harvesting) ?
Based on your comment (and the fact that this tree's sap contains said beneficial compounds) and based on the fact that I know various conifers that are native to Canada and the US have a range of beneficial compounds found in the foliage I speculated that their bark/sap might offer similar benefits and after a quick bit of research I was pleasantly surprised to find that my suspicions were correct! :) Apparently, a number of conifers that grow in our local area (and further north in the Boreal forest) have a high concentrations of proanthocyanidins, anthocyanin and other polyphenols in their bark.
Here is some data on the relevant species : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665433/
Thanks so much for inspiring me to look into that. I will add the relevant trees to the list above when I have time.
Please let me know how your use of sangre de drago to help your stomach goes.
Thank you for the tip... looking forward to learning more and trying it out... ordering some today.
You are welcome! Thanks for the comment :)