Gooseberries good source of Vitamin C

HEALTH

By Jovia Nakawuki

Gooseberries, known as etuntunu in local dialect Luganda, are considered a wild fruit, which many natives would come across in bushes. 

Rashid Kimera, a fruit farmer in Zirobwe, says this plant yields heavily and when ripe, it is mostly consumed by picking the fruit, opening the light puffy pod and munching away.

However the growing population and pressure on the environment means that the fruit can no longer survive as bushes are cleared for settlement as well as for farming.

Some prefer eating them as is while others make juice of them them.

Solomon Kiyimba, a nutritionist in Kampala, says that one cup of gooseberries contains 41.5mg of Vitamin C.

For older people, it is beneficial to consume gooseberries regularly. A cup of gooseberries fulfils 55% of the required nutrients. 

Kiyimba says plenty of Vitamin C is necessary in the body to absorb iron and to aid in the formation of collagen; it helps to maintain healthy bones, muscles, cartilage and blood vessels.

Margret Nakamya, who sells fruits at Matugga Market, says gooseberries can also be processed to make jam and wine. "Many people book with us, most especially on weekends."

Gooseberries are easy to plant since they do not need a lot of space.  They can be planted around the compound or alongside the verandah if one has got limited space.

In supermarkets, a kilogram of gooseberries costs sh8,000 to 9,000 and the packed ones range from sh1,000 to 2,000. You can also get some along the streets.