Who doesn’t love berries of all shades, from blueberries to strawberries? Each luscious orb is delicious and nutritious. Plus, berries of all sizes add color to your culinary creations. Packed full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they’re more than just a tasty snack. These naturally sweet treats are versatile, too, with many ways to enjoy their goodness and nutrient density. Are you looking for inspiration to add berries to your diet? Here are five tasty and healthy reasons to enjoy more berries.
Berries Are Brain Healthy
These days, we’re living longer, although the pandemic may later that trajectory. But if you do make it into the eighth and ninth decades of life, preserving brain health becomes even more important. But whether you’re 65 or 85, keeping your mind sharp is key to staying healthy for as long as possible and getting the most out of life. And diet plays a key role in keeping your brain fit and healthy.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that women who consumed more strawberries and blueberries could ward off cognitive decline by 2.5 years. No wonder! Berries are rich in antioxidants and compounds with anti-inflammatory activity that help protect brain cells against oxidative stress that contributes to cognitive loss. Berries contain over eight thousand types of phenols (with antioxidant activity) classified into categories like phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins.
If you have a choice, go for wild blueberries. They have larger quantities of antioxidants than farmed blueberries and contain slightly less natural sugar. You can find them frozen in some grocery stores.
Berries Are Vision Friendly
Berries contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of visual loss in older adults. Some experts refer to lutein and zeaxanthin as sunscreen for the eyes. That’s because they shield the light-sensitive structure, the retina in the back of your eye, from sun damage that can damage it and lead to macular degeneration. Wear sunglasses with ultraviolet filters but eat your berries too for extra protection.
Berries Are Healthy for Your Heart
Berries are rich in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that help protect the cardiovascular system. They prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind) and promote healthy blood vessel function. These antioxidants may also protect against heart disease by reducing inflammation. Plus, berries are rich in fiber, another dietary component linked with heart health.
Berries Support a Healthy Immune System
One way to support immune health is to add more vitamin C to your diet. Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that helps your immune system respond to foreign pathogens like viruses and bacteria.
Although studies show vitamin C may or may not prevent colds, it modestly shortens their duration by a day or so. At the very least, you need to consume enough vitamin C to allow your immune system to do its job.
You might think citrus fruits are the best source of vitamin C, but a cup of strawberries is a better source of vitamin C than a medium orange. Strawberries are also lower in sugar and taste delicious, too.
Berries Are Blood Sugar Friendly
Being naturally low in sugar, berries don’t cause a sharp rise in blood glucose when you eat them. According to research, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries help reduce the rise in blood sugar and insulin that obese or metabolic syndrome patients experience after eating. One reason is that berries are high in fiber, but the antioxidants in berries may also play a role in the more subdued blood sugar response.
Ways to Enjoy Berries
Berries are a delicious and healthy snack, and there are numerous fun and creative ways to enjoy them.
One of the most popular ways to enjoy berries is by mixing them with low-sugar yogurt. The protein in the yogurt will keep you feeling full until your next meal. Another way to savor the taste and health benefits of berries is by freezing them and eating them as tiny ice pop bites. This is a tasty option for sizzling summer days when you want to cool off with something sweet, but don’t want all the calories that come with ice cream.
When it comes to berries, people often think of them as an ingredient in desserts like pies or cobblers. But they can also be part of an entree like chicken salad or sprinkled on a fresh garden salad. You can also add assorted berries to a bowl of hot oatmeal in the morning for more color and flavor or enjoy them in your next smoothie. They add natural sweetness, so you can skip the processed sugar.
Conclusion
Berries are the perfect way to enjoy something special and a way to add nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants to your diet. If you’re concerned because fresh ones don’t keep long, buy frozen ones. Frozen berries are just as nutritious as fresh ones — they’re flash-frozen immediately after they’re picked — and they’re usually cheaper than their fresh counterparts. Plus, frozen berries have a longer shelf-life, so you don’t have to feel pressure to use them right away. But don’t forget about them! However, you choose to tap into their goodness, berries are a healthful addition to your plate or bowl.
References:
- Natural Product Insider. “Berry Science”
- Calvano A, Izuora K , Oh EC , Ebersole JL , Lyons TJ , Basu A . Dietary berries, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes: an overview of human feeding trials. Food Funct. 2019 Oct 16;10(10):6227-6243. doi: 10.1039/c9fo01426h. PMID: 31591634; PMCID: PMC7202899.Br J Nutr. 2008 Jul;100(1):70-8.
- Basu A, Rhone M, Lyons TJ. Berries: emerging impact on cardiovascular health. Nutr Rev. 2010 Mar;68(3):168-77. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00273. x. PMID: 20384847; PMCID: PMC3068482.
- “Berries keep your brain sharp – Harvard Gazette.” 26 Apr. 2012, /news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/04/berries-keep-your-brain-sharp/.
- Vahapoglu B, Erskine E, Gultekin Subasi B, Capanoglu E. Recent Studies on Berry Bioactives and Their Health-Promoting Roles. Molecules. 2021 Dec 24;27(1):108. doi: 10.3390/molecules27010108. PMID: 35011338; PMCID: PMC8747047.
- Kalt W, Cassidy A, Howard LR, Krikorian R, Stull AJ, Tremblay F, Zamora-Ros R. Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins. Adv Nutr. 2020 Mar 1;11(2):224-236. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz065. PMID: 31329250; PMCID: PMC7442370.
- “The 8 Healthiest Berries You Can Eat.” 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-healthy-berries.
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