Berries are among the healthiest foods you can eat. They’re delicious, nutritious, and provide several impressive health benefits.
Here are 5 good reasons to include berries in your diet.
1. Loaded with antioxidants
Berries contain antioxidants which help keep free radicals under control.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that are beneficial in small amounts but can damage your cells when their numbers get too high, causing oxidative stress
Berries are a great source of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and resveratrol. In addition to protecting your cells, these plant compounds may reduce disease risk
One study showed that blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries have the highest antioxidant activity of commonly consumed fruits, next to pomegranates
In fact, several studies have confirmed that the antioxidants in berries may help reduce oxidative stress
One study in healthy men found that consuming a single, 300-gram portion of blueberries helped protect their DNA against free radical damage
In another study in healthy people, eating 17 ounces (500 grams) of strawberry pulp every day for 30 days decreased a pro-oxidant marker by 38%
2. May help improve blood sugar and insulin response
Berries may improve your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Test-tube and human studies suggest that they may protect your cells from high blood sugar levels, help increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce insulin response to high-carb meals
Importantly, these effects appear to occur in both healthy people and those with insulin resistance
In one study in healthy women, eating 150 grams of pureed strawberries or mixed berries with bread led to a 24–26% reduction in insulin levels, compared to consuming the bread alone
Moreover, in a six-week study, obese people with insulin resistance who drank a blueberry smoothie twice per day experienced greater improvements in insulin sensitivity than those who consumed berry-free smoothie
3. High in Fibre
Berries are a good source of fibre including soluble fibre. Studies show that consuming soluble fibre slows down the movement of food through your digestive tract, leading to reduced hunger and increased feelings of fullness. This may decrease your calorie intake and make weight management easier What’s more, fibre helps reduce the number of calories you absorb from mixed meals. One study found that doubling your fibre intake could make you absorb up to 130 fewer calories per day
In addition, the high fibre content of berries means that they’re low in digestible or net carbs, which are calculated by subtracting fibre from total carbs.
Here are the carb and fibre counts for 100 grams of berries.
- Raspberries: 11.9 grams of carbs, 6.5 of which are fibre
- Blackberries: 10.2 grams of carbs, 5.3 of which are fibre
- Strawberries: 7.7 grams of carbs, 2.0 of which are fibre
- Blueberries: 14.5 grams of carbs, 2.4 of which are fibre
Note that a typical serving size for berries is 1 cup, which converts to about 125–150 grams depending on the type. Because of their low net carb content, berries are a low-carb friendly food.
4. Provide many nutrients
Berries are low in calories and extremely nutritious. In addition to being high in antioxidants, they also contain several vitamins and minerals.
Berries, especially strawberries, are high in vitamin C. In fact, 1 cup (150 grams) of strawberries provides a whopping 150% of the RDI for vitamin C
Below is the nutrition content of a 100-gram 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
The calorie count for 100 grams of berries ranges from 32 for strawberries to 57 for blueberries, making berries some lowest-calorie fruits around
5. Help fight inflammation
Berries have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is your body’s defence against infection or injury.
However, modern lifestyles often lead to excessive, long-term inflammation due to increased stress, inadequate physical activity, and unhealthy food choices.
This type of chronic inflammation is believed to contribute to conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
Studies suggest that the antioxidants in berries may help lower inflammatory markers
In one study in overweight people, those drinking a strawberry beverage with a high-carb, high-fat meal noticed a more significant decrease in certain inflammatory markers than the control group