It is not much of a task to convince people to eat fresh berries. These are the natural treats most of us look forward to in the summer, and the fact they are simply delicious is all most of us need to know. But fresh berries are also some of the healthiest things we can include in our diet. Choosing the healthiest berries really means choosing the healthiest thing you probably already love to eat.
While all berries are good for you, it is the healthiest berries that pack the most vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries—all of these berries make for healthy additions to your diet. But when you need to pack the most nutrients into one choice, it helps to know which of these are the healthiest berries.
The healthiest berries are those that provide more than just vitamins and minerals. While just about all berries have these nutritional benefits, the healthiest berries contain other compounds that provide even more benefits.
What are the healthiest berries? What are the benefits of the healthiest berries? And what are the various types of berries that provide the most benefits? This guide will give you all the information you need to understand the healthiest berries.
What are berries?
From a botanical perspective, berries are simple fleshy fruits that contain many seeds. Many of the fruits we typically call barriers are in fact not part of the botanical berry group. Bananas, grapes, and tomatoes are scientifically identified as berries.
Fruits like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are technically called aggregate fruits since they are made up of a number of smaller fruits. True berries are things like cranberries and blueberries.
However, in partial terms, berries are any one of the numbers of small fleshy and juicy fruits that include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries. In recent years, other berries have become available such as goji berries and acai berries.
Why are berries among the healthiest foods on earth?
Berries are among the top sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that fight disease. Berries are known to possess compounds that fight a wide range of age-related conditions. People who regularly eat berries are known to have a longer life expectancy. Eating a single cup of berries as part of your diet can provide all the health benefits of these natural health foods.
Berries are known to contain potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and K, and fiber. They also contain prebiotics which are compounds that enhance the healthy bacteria in your gut. Berries are linked to a variety of health benefits. They can fight type 2 diabetes, promote weight loss, and reduce your risk of heart disease. Berries are also known to help boost memory and learning capabilities.
Berries Benefits
As we noted above, berries are some of the healthiest fresh foods you can eat. They contain massive amounts of vitamins and minerals, and they contain other compounds that promote good health. Some of the health benefits of berries include:
Great source of antioxidants
Berries are loaded with antioxidants that help control free radicals and the damage they can cause. Free radicals are unstable compounds that can cause cell damage. The damage from free radicals leads to what is called oxidative stress, and this is at the root of chronic inflammation and the many health issues that come with chronic inflammation.
Berries contain antioxidants like anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and resveratrol. All of these compounds reduce your risk of serious chronic illnesses.
Some of the best berries for antioxidant capabilities are blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The only fruit that has more antioxidants is pomegranates. Scientific studies have shown that eating berries can greatly reduce the risk of oxidative stress.
May help improve blood sugar and insulin response
Eating berries can improve your blood sugar and insulin levels. Studies have revealed that berries have the capacity to protect against high blood sugar and can improve insulin response. Because this effect applies to both healthy people and to those who already live with diabetes, this benefit of berries applies to everyone. This means those who live with diabetes can potentially see reductions in their blood sugar and improvements in insulin response, and healthy people can sustain their good blood sugar and insulin response.
High in fiber
Berries are a great source of fiber. It is known that getting a healthy amount of fiber in your diet helps with digestive health. Eating healthy amounts of fiber also helps reduce the feeling of being hungry, and this is great for losing weight.
Consuming fiber can also limit the number of calories your body can absorb. This means that no matter what you eat, on the whole, a healthy amount of fiber from berries can still help you lose weight and keep the weight off.
Provide many nutrients
Berries are naturally loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. One cup of strawberries, for example, can contain as much as 150 percent of the RDI for vitamin C.
Berries tend to be about the same in their vitamin and mineral content. Vitamin C is the one exception since some berries contain far more vitamin C than others. Berries also share roughly the same mineral content.
As an example, here is the nutrition content of a 3.5 ounce serving of blackberries:
- Calories: 43
- Vitamin C: 35% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
- Manganese: 32% of the RDI
- Vitamin K1: 25% of the RDI
- Copper: 8% of the RDI
- Folate: 6% of the RDI
There are about 32 calories in the same serving of blackberries as compared to 57 calories for blueberries. The fact is, berries are some of the lowest-calorie foods that still contain high levels of nutrients.
Fight inflammation
Berries are some of the best foods for fighting inflammation. Inflammation is a natural response to things like injuries and infections. However, when inflammation becomes a chronic condition due to lifestyle choices and eating unhealthy foods, it can lead to many serious health problems.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The anti-inflammatory properties in berries can fight chronic inflammation and reduce your risk of developing these conditions.
It May help lower cholesterol levels
It turns out that berries can help in the fight against high cholesterol. Black raspberries and strawberries in particular have been found to lower cholesterol levels in people who are obese or live with metabolic syndrome.
Type of berries
Perhaps the best thing about berries is that there are so many varieties to choose from. To get the health benefits of berries, you do not need to limit yourself to one type. Find the type of berry you like best and just stick with them. Or, if you really like berries, include all of them in your diet.
Blueberries
Blueberries often top the list of favored darker-colored berries because they are juicy and sweet. Blueberries contain high levels of anthocyanins, and these promote healthy eyes and eyesight. Blueberries are also high in vitamins C and K. Blueberries are great for cardiovascular health, and they may lower cholesterol.
Raspberries
Raspberries are delicious on their own, but the fact that raspberries are naturally sweet makes them a perfect addition to desserts. Raspberries are an excellent source of fiber. They are high in vitamins C and K. Raspberries are also a good source of manganese. Raspberries naturally contain powerful antioxidants.
Goji Berries
Goji berries are native to China. Also known as wolfberries, goji berries have been an important part of traditional medicine. Goji berries have recently gained popularity in the west. Goji berries are high in vitamins C and A. They are a great source of fiber. Since goji berries contain such high levels of vitamin A and a compound called zeaxanthin, they are known to be great for eye health.
Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the most popular berries in America. They are also a favorite around the world. Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C. They are a good source of fiber. And strawberries contain significant levels of manganese. Strawberries are great for heart health, they can help fight heart disease and lower cholesterol, and strawberries are also great for fighting chronic inflammation.
Acai Berries
Acai berries are native to the Brazilian Amazon region. They grow on the acaii palm tree. Like goji berries, acai berries have grown in popularity in the United States in recent years. Acai berries are known especially for their high levels of antioxidants. Acai berries have high concentrations of polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants. Consuming acai berries can greatly reduce oxidative stress in your body.
Cranberries
Cranberries are quite tart if consumed raw. For this reason, they are most often consumed in juice it in things like cranberry sauce. Cranberries are a great source of vitamin C. They are also high in antioxidants.
Something that is unique about cranberries is that they contain a compound that prevents bacteria from adhering to the bladder and urinary tract and thereby reduce the risk and incidence of urinary tract infections (UTI).
Grapes
Grapes are also one of the most common berries consumed in the world. We consume grapes not only raw, but also in juice, wine, vinegar, and raisin. Grapes contain high levels of vitamins C and K. They are also a good source of antioxidants. It is also thought that grapes can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Berries & Weight Loss
Berries contain large quantities of nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. For this reason, berries provide a huge boost of nutrients with few calories. The presence of healthy amounts of fiber not only makes you feel full longer, but it also reduces your appetite over a longer period of time.
Berries are an ideal part of any weight loss plan. They make it possible to fill in as snacks rather than relying on high-fat and high-sugar snacks which run counter to weight loss plans. They are also incredibly healthy and will provide a great addition to fitness and weight loss plans.
Berries FAQS
What are berries? From a botanical perspective, berries are simple fleshy fruits that contain many seeds. Fruits like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are technically called aggregate fruits since they are made up of a number of smaller fruits. True berries are things like cranberries and blueberries.
Why are berries among the healthiest foods on earth? Berries are among the top sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that fight disease. Berries are known to possess compounds that fight a wide range of age-related conditions. People who regularly eat berries are known to have a longer life expectancy. Eating a single cup of berries as part of your diet can provide all the health benefits of these natural health foods.
What are some of the health benefits of berries? Berries are high in antioxidants and can help fight or reduce chronic inflammation. They are a great source of nutrients. And berries can help you lose weight.
What are some of the best types of berries? Some of the healthiest berries available include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, goji berries, and acai berries.
Spartan Detox plans offer everything you need for a healthy and effective detox. You have the choice between a 3-day or 7-day detox. These options allow you to address your specific needs and issues.
Spartan Detox plans include delicious fresh juices that are formulated to provide maximum detox and nutrition. The dual purpose of these juices and smoothies is to facilitate the elimination of toxins from your body and to provide a serious nutritional boost during your detox.
By relying on a Spartan Detox plan, you can be sure that you not only get a safe, effective, and healthy detox program, you also maintain your health during your detox in the best possible ways.
Each of the juices and smoothies from Spartan Detox is formulated to provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that cleanse and protect the body from the level of the cells to the organ systems.
In addition to juices and smoothies, Spartan Detox now offers a range of vitamin and mineral supplements to accentuate your detox and health goals.
