11 Reasons to Enjoy Berries
11 Reasons to Enjoy Berries
CHOLESTEROL | GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN | CANCER PREVENTION | DIET |
HEALTHY ARTERIES | DELICIOUS | SUMMARY
Berries are one of the Healthiest Foods on the plant
Berries are among the most nutritious foods you can consume.
They offer a tonne of positive health effects in addition to being delicious and healthy.
Here are 11 advantages of eating more berries.
1. Full of antioxidants
Berries include antioxidants that help regulate free radicals.
Antioxidants like anthocyanins, which are abundant in berries, may protect your cells from damage from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can be beneficial in very small concentrations but lead to oxidative stress when they are present in excessive numbers. These plant substances may safeguard your cells and lessen your chance of contracting a disease.
Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, along with pomegranates, have the highest antioxidant activity of regularly consumed fruits, according to one study.
Several studies have shown that the antioxidants included in berries can help lower oxidative stress.
In one study, eating a single 10-ounce (300-gram) amount of blueberries protected preserve healthy men’s DNA from free radical damage.
In another study, healthy participants who ate 17 ounces (500 grammes) of strawberry pulp every day for 30 days saw a 38 percent reduction in a pro-oxidant marker.
2. It’s possible that they’ll aid with blood sugar and insulin response
Researchers have proven that berries help with insulin and blood sugar levels. Berries, whether consumed raw or mixed into smoothies, can assist to increase insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
Test-tube and human research suggest that they may shield your cells from high blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and lessen the blood sugar and insulin response to high-carb meals.
Importantly, these effects appear to occur in both healthy and insulin-resistant individuals.
In one study, eating 5 ounces (150 grammes) of puréed strawberries or mixed berries with bread reduced insulin levels by 24–26% compared to eating the bread alone in healthy women.
Furthermore, obese adults with insulin resistance who drank a blueberry smoothie twice a day saw larger gains in insulin sensitivity than those who drank berry-free smoothies in six-week research.
3. Full of Fibre
Berries contain fibre, which can help you feel fuller while also lowering your appetite and the number of calories you take in from mixed meals. Berries are high in fibre, especially soluble fibre. Consuming soluble fibre slows the transit of food through your digestive tract, resulting in reduced appetite and enhanced feelings of fullness, according to research.
As a result, you might lose weight by consuming fewer calories.
Fibre also aids in lowering the number of calories absorbed from mixed meals. According to one study, doubling your fibre intake could result in you absorbing 130 fewer calories each day.
Furthermore, berries’ high fibre content means they have a low digestible or net carb content, which is measured by subtracting fibre from total carbs.
For 3.5 ounces (100 grammes) of berries, here are the carb and fibre counts:
- Raspberries have 11.9 grammes of carbohydrates, with 6.5 grammes of fibre.
- Blackberries have 10.2 grammes of carbohydrates, with 5.3 grammes of fibre.
- Strawberries include 7.7 grammes of carbohydrates, with 2.0 grammes of fibre.
- Blueberries include 14.5 grammes of carbohydrates, with 2.4 grammes of fibre.
A standard berry serving size is 1 cup, which translates to around 4.4–5.3 ounces (125–150 grammes) depending on the type.
Due to their low net carbohydrate content, berries are a low-carb food.
4. Contain a wide range of nutrients
Berries are a low-calorie, high-nutrient food. They are rich in antioxidants and have several vitamins and minerals as well.
Vitamin C is abundant in berries, particularly strawberries. In fact, 150 grammes of strawberries contains 150 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
All berries have a similar vitamin and mineral composition, with the exception of vitamin C.
A 100-grams (3.5-ounce) portion of blackberries has the following nutritional value:
- 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
Berry calories range from 32 for strawberries to 57 for blueberries in 100 grams (3.5 ounces), making them one of the lowest-calorie fruits available. Berries are abundant in vitamin C and manganese and low in calories, among other vitamins and minerals.
5. Assist in the battle against inflammation
Anti-inflammatory qualities are abundant in berries, lowering your risk of heart disease and other health issues by reducing inflammation.
Your body’s natural defence against infection or injury is inflammation.
Modern lifestyles, on the other hand, frequently result in excessive, long-term inflammation as a result of increasing stress, insufficient physical activity, and improper eating choices.
Chronic inflammation is thought to play a role in diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Berry antioxidants may help decrease inflammatory indicators, according to research.
In one research of overweight persons, those who drank a strawberry beverage with a high-carb, high-fat meal saw a greater reduction in inflammatory markers than those who drank a placebo.
6. Lowering cholesterol levels with berries
Antioxidants found in berries are beneficial to your heart. Berries have been demonstrated to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and protect it from oxidation, potentially lowering the risk of heart disease.
Obese or metabolic syndrome patients have been shown to benefit from black raspberries and strawberries, which have been shown to help decrease cholesterol.
Adults with metabolic syndrome who drank a strawberry-flavoured beverage every day for eight weeks saw an 11% reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Furthermore, berries may aid in the prevention of oxidised or damaged LDL cholesterol, which is thought to be a key risk factor for heart disease.
Obese persons who ate 1.5 ounces (50 grammes) of freeze-dried blueberries for 8 weeks saw a 28 percent reduction in their oxidised LDL levels, according to a controlled study.
7. Berries are good for your skin
By limiting free radicals, one of the most frequent types of skin damage that accelerates ageing, berries may help prevent wrinkles. Berries include ellagic acid, an antioxidant that may help reduce wrinkling and other indications of skin ageing caused by sun exposure.
Despite the lack of evidence, ellagic acid appears to be responsible for some of the berries’ skin-related advantages.
This antioxidant may preserve skin by preventing the development of enzymes that break down collagen in sun-damaged skin, according to test-tube and animal studies.
Collagen is a protein found in the structure of your skin. Your skin can stretch while keeping its firmness thanks to it. Skin sags and wrinkles form when collagen is damaged.
In one study, ellagic acid was applied to the skin of hairless mice exposed to ultraviolet light for eight weeks and helped prevent collagen from damage.
8. It’s possible that berries can help prevent cancer
Anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and resveratrol, among other antioxidants found in berries, may help to lower cancer risk. In animals and people with various forms of cancer, berries have been proven to lower indicators linked to tumour growth.
Berries may protect against cancers of the oesophagus, mouth, breast, and colon, according to animal and human studies.
Eating 60 grams (2 ounces) of freeze-dried raspberries for 1–9 weeks improved tumour markers in some, but not all, participants in a study of 20 persons with colon cancer.
Another test-tube study discovered that all types of strawberries, whether high or low in antioxidants, had powerful, protective effects on liver cancer cells.
9. Can be eaten on almost any type of diet
Berries can be incorporated into a variety of diets. Berries are low in calories and carbohydrates and are generally available fresh or frozen, making them suitable for most regimens.
Though low-carb and ketogenic diets generally exclude fruit, berries can normally be consumed in moderation.
A half-cup serving of blackberries (70 grammes) or raspberries (60 grammes), for example, provides less than 4 grammes of digestible carbohydrates.
Berries can be eaten in large quantities on paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian, and vegan diets.
Berries are good for people who are trying to lose weight because they are low in calories and may be used in meals, snacks, or desserts.
In many regions of the world, organic and wild berries are now commonly available. Frozen berries can be purchased and thawed as needed when they aren’t in season.
The only people who should avoid berries are those on a low-fibre diet for certain digestive ailments, as well as those who are allergic to them. Strawberries are the most common cause of allergic responses.
10. It’s possible that it’ll assist in keeping your arteries healthy
Berries have other heart-health benefits, such as enhancing the function of your arteries, in addition to decreasing cholesterol. Berries have been shown to improve vascular function in healthy people, people with metabolic syndrome, and smokers in various trials.
Endothelial cells are the cells that line your blood arteries. They aid in blood pressure regulation, blood clotting prevention, and other vital tasks.
Excessive inflammation can harm these cells, preventing them from functioning properly. Endothelial dysfunction, a key risk factor for heart disease, is what this is called.
Berries have been shown in studies to improve endothelial function in healthy adults, persons with metabolic syndrome, and smokers.
When compared to the control group, those who had a daily blueberry smoothie exhibited significant improvements in endothelial function in a controlled study of 44 people with metabolic syndrome.
Although fresh berries are the healthiest, processed berries may still have some heart-healthy properties. The term “processed” refers to baked berry goods, whereas “freeze-dried” berries are not.
Although baking blueberries reduced their anthocyanin level, total antioxidant concentrations remained unchanged, according to one study. People who ate baked or freeze-dried berries saw similar improvements in arterial function.
11. Yummy on their own or in a healthy dish
Berries are undeniable delicious. Whether you use one type or a combination of two or more, they create a delicious snack or dessert.
Even though they’re inherently sweet and don’t need any added sugar, a dollop of heavy or whipped cream can elevate them to a more sophisticated dessert.
Try berries with plain Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese, as well as some chopped almonds, for breakfast.
Salads are another option to incorporate berries into your diet.
Browse the internet for healthy recipes to discover the practically limitless diversity of berries.
SUMMARY
Berries are delicious, healthy, and have numerous health advantages, including those for your heart and skin.
You may boost your general health in a fun way by integrating them into your diet on a regular basis.