What are black currant benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Here are black currant pros and cons and how buying it will impact your health, the environment, animals and laborers.
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on black currant benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about black currant benefits and side effects. This will include black currant benefits for your health and potential risks, black currant water footprint and black currant carbon footprint, black currant sustainability, if black currants are vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if black currants are good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about black currant benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Must-Know Black Currant Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Black currant health benefits may include:
- hydration
- digestive health
- fight infection
- detoxification
- kidney health
- lowered cholesterol
- weight loss
Black currants are…
- Alkaline 8.0 pH level
- Gluten Free
- Not a Common Food Allergen
Environment
Water footprint: low, it takes 499 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of currants / 60 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of currants
Carbon footprint: low, 0.9 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of fruits, a car driving equivalent of 2 miles or 3.25 kilometers
Destruction: low, black currant production is relatively sustainable, there is no significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Black currants are…
- Sustainable
Animals
Kills: none, black currant production does not require any animals to be killed
Harms: none, black currant production does not require any animals to be used
Indirectly kills or harms: none, no animals are indirectly killed or harmed from black currant production as long as toxic chemicals have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Black currants are…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
★★★★★
- Perfect for children ages 2-8.
- Available in paperback, ebook, audio formats.
- Suitable for vegan kids and vegan families (does not include farm animals, animal food products or byproducts).
- Written + Illustrated by HEALabel's Adriane Marie.
Laborers
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Additionally, black currants…
- May involve worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns (depends on the brand)
black currants are alkaline. black currant benefits include fitting into an alkaline diet.
Are black currants alkaline or acidic?
Black currants are alkaline.
What is the pH level of black currants?
Black currants have an 8.0 pH level, once digested.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
black currants are gluten free. black currant benefits include fitting into a gluten free diet.
Are black currants gluten free?
Yes, black currants are gluten free. Black currants do not contain gluten. Black currants are a type of fruit berry, therefore making it a naturally gluten free food.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
black currants is not a common food allergen.
Are black currants a common food allergen?
No, black currants are not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to black currants but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
black currants likely have a low water footprint. black currant benefits include not requiring much water for production.
Do black currants have a high or low water footprint?
Black currants likely have a low water footprint compared to other foods.
Did you know that water is a finite, non-renewable resource?
How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?
We need to be aware of “water footprints”. That is, the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of goods we consume. As it turns out it takes significantly more water to yield foods that come from animals than foods that come from plants. Imagine how much water a cow needs to consume to generate a piece of beef. Not only how much water a single cow drinks, rather all the water that went into producing the crops that the cow ate.
Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
black currants likely have a low carbon footprint.
Do black currants have a high or low carbon footprint?
Black currants likely have a low carbon footprint compared to other foods.
Food not only has a water footprint but also a carbon footprint, known as CO2e, which stands for carbon dioxide equivalent. Since carbon measurements are a bit more difficult to comprehend, it is common to equate CO2e to the distance which a car drives in miles or kilometers.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
But that’s not all!
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
black currants are sustainable. black currant benefits include being eco friendly.
Overall, are black currants eco friendly? Are black currants sustainable?
Black currant production is relatively sustainable, there is no significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides are not used. Be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
black currants are vegan.
Are black currants vegan?
Yes, black currants are vegan. Black currants are a fruit berry and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farms and the livestock industry are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. They’re also injected with growth hormones to become fatter faster and live short lives, being slaughtered as soon as they finish growing and are killed prematurely, well before their natural lifespan.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
black currants may have labor issues and human rights concerns.
Are black currants a product that has labor issues?
At this time, there are no specific reports of worker mistreatment regarding black currant farming but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Black currants may or may not have labor issues.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks.
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Conclusion
Black currant pros include:
- numerous health benefits
- sustainable
- vegan
- gluten free
- not a common food allergen
- low carbon footprint
- low water footprint
Black currant cons include:
- possible laborer exploitation (as with most foods)
- pesticide ingestion and contamination if not organic (as with most produce)
This post was all about black currant benefits and side effects.
Sources:
American Black Currant Plant Guide
The health benefits of blackcurrants – PubMed
Currants and Gooseberries – Ministry of Agriculture, Food
