It doesn’t matter whether you choose the more exotic goji and acai or whether you simply love raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, blackberry, and blueberry; all berries are extremely good for you, we already learned that. But what’s so wonderful about berries that make them so good for us? It’s not simply because they’re low in sugar and low in calories, and it’s also not simply because they’re rich in color, indicating that they’re high in antioxidants. Berries contain a great amount of varying nutrients that provide a great amount of nutrition, benefiting many parts of your body. Though this does occur in all fruits, berries are typically regarded as among the finest and highest-nutrition foods to consume because of how much this helps keep you healthy.
Regardless of whether you get fresh, frozen, or superfood types of berries, all of the berries will benefit you. Here’s why:
1) They Protect Your Brain, Slow Aging and Promote a Healthy Mood
Berries are shown to benefit the rate at which the brain ages because of how they support brain function. Steven Bratt, who is a California medical physician and author of Superfoods Rx: 14 Foods Proven to Change Your Life, even refers to them as “Brainberries” due to how amazing they are at combating markers of inflammation of aging in the brain. Individuals who are regular consumers of berries demonstrate slower aging signs and lower chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Harvard Medical University also explored over 16,000 women and concluded that berry consumption slowed cognitive decline by 2.5 years, and that’s only accounting for strawberries and blueberries.
Berries keep us in good spirits because there are so many antioxidants in them. Some of them, such as acai berries, also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are good at reducing aging and elevating mood. Blackberries, cranberries, acai, goji, maqui, mulberry, and camu camu berries contain a higher amount of antioxidants than other berries, which might make them that much healthier. Goji berries are known as longevity berries, as there is a huge amount of antioxidant compounds in them.
2) They Increase Digestive Health
Berries contain more fiber than any other kind of fruit and are easy to digest. This is good if you struggle with other types of fruit that contain more fructose (fruit sugar), such as apples, dried fruits, and pears. The fiber in berries is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which support healthy digestion. The fiber in berries pulls toxins and cholesterol out of your body, and this keeps your heart strong and your energy up. Digestion that works well is incredibly important in terms of your general health, especially in terms of your heart and brain. The way that you digest food makes a difference in how your mood is, as does your energy. If your digestion is impaired, it can cause problems, as well as not getting proper nourishment, and good digestion can prevent the illness caused by toxins or by leaky gut syndrome from developing. Berries also contain more fiber than several of the healthier whole grains. For instance, a cup of raspberries contains roughly 11 grams of fiber, which is more than a cup of quinoa or oatmeal!
Blueberries and cranberries will reduce and eliminate bad bacteria in your body, as well as fight bacterial infection on a daily basis.
3) They Protect Your Heart From Inflammation
Inflammation of the heart and blood can rapidly cause disease, such as cancer and diabetes, not to mention high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Berries have certain phytonutrients in them that not only ward off inflammation but also decrease it. They’re among the more alkaline foods to eat and ward against the detrimental health issues, such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar, from animal products, which all cause inflammation in the body. Alma berries (another exotic berry and also referred to as Indian gooseberries) have also been known to ward against cancer in the body and are particularly healthy for women. Dr. Michael Greger, MD, even states that amla berries are among the greatest foods that we can consume to ward against high cholesterol and diabetes.
Berries are also rich in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C reduces inflammation and encourages healthy immunity against inflammation-based illness. Potassium also maintains a healthy amount of water in the body and will similarly work toward against sore muscles and dehydration, which will cause inflammation in the body.
4) They Support Your Metabolism
Berries are one of the finest developed world foods to support a healthy weight. One of the reasons is that there aren’t that many calories in them. Another is that much of what calories there are in them are fiber-based carbs, which aren’t stored as fat by your body like starch and sugar are. Another is that they can offset some of the fat that gets absorbed by your body by being rich in fiber. Some research indicates that raspberries, blueberries, and acai berries will make people lose weight, though there is evidence that raspberries and blueberries at least will support weight loss. Any berry, though, will support staying healthy.
The key is to choose to eat these in place of sugary snacks, to have a primarily healthy diet, and to be physically active often. Berries won’t offset potato chips and steak, but as part of a healthy lifestyle and diet, they can support improving your metabolism. Berries are nutritious, so choose whichever type and try to include them in your diet instead of unhealthy, processed types. You can throw them in smoothies, salads, mix them in dressings, cook/bake with them, or simply have them raw; berries are a great choice for your diet. Get them frozen and organic when out of season to lower the chance of pesticides in your diet and get them to store longer in your fridge. Try all of our berry recipes for delicious ideas!
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