The 5 Healthiest Berries You Can Eat

Holistic nutrition

Who does not love berries? Those small, soft, round fruit that are packed with goodness, and such a sweet snack to enjoy anytime of the day. But here are the five berries that you must make sure that you have in your fridge.

You might be used to your grandmother’s jam made out of them, or even used in desserts. Either way, berries have a great nutritional profile. They are high in fiber, and a good source of vitamin C and the antioxidant polyphenols.

Not only are they colorful, some sweet, others a bit sour, they might even help to reduce the symptoms of many chronic diseases.

Nonetheless, here are the five healthiest berries that you should be eating.

1 Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the most favorite berries and a super source of vitamin K, but also contain antioxidant polyphenols called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins in blueberries might decrease oxidative stress, consequently lowering the risk of heart disease for healthy people and high-risk people. What blueberries also can do is to lower bad LDL cholesterol in blood, thereby improve your heart health, and limit your risks of a heart attack and making sure your arteries are healthy.

Diabetics can also benefit of consuming blueberries. Research has indicated that these berries can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 26%.

The nutritional profile of blueberries are:

Calories: 84
Fiber: 3.6 grams
Vitamin C: 24% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 36% of the RDI
Manganese: 25% of the RDI

2 Raspberries

A staple used in desserts, raspberries are also high in fiber. They are also a source of antioxidant polyphenols named ellagitannins that can help decrease oxidative stress. In fact, a research study indicated that when you make a juice of raspberries, it could reduce oxidative stress initiated by exercise in cyclists.

Also, it might be best to eat raspberries at the start of your meal, as they can increase leptin, a hormone that makes you feel full.

Then, besides the red berries, the black raspberries have been shown to reduce your risk for heart disease, by keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol in check. Moreover, these berries can reduce inflammation in people that have metabolic syndrome and reduce the size of polyps (abnormal cell growths that can lead to cancer) in the colon.

The nutritional profile of blueberries are (for one cup of raspberries):

Calories: 64
Fiber: 8 grams
Vitamin C: 54% of the RDI
Vitamin K: 12% of the RDI
Manganese: 41% of the RDI

3 Goji Berries

Native to China and used in their traditional treatments, Goji berries, or wolfberries, have become extremely widespread in the West.

Still, these berries are good for your eye health as they are an excellent source of vitamin A and zeaxanthin. For instance, a study shown that eating at least 14 grams of these berries a day and preserve your eyesight by raising blood zeaxanthin levels.

Goji berries are also a source of antioxidant polyphenols. Besides antioxidant levels, drinking goji berry juice for at least 14 days can increase your metabolism and make you lose weight.

The nutritional profile of goji berries are:

Calories: 23
Fiber: 2.2 grams
Vitamin C: 9% of the RDI
Vitamin A: 50% of the RDI
Copper: 28% of the RDI

4 Strawberries

Strawberries are great sources of vitamin C. But they can also lower your risk of a heart attack. One study indicated that if you eat three portions of strawberries, with blueberries, a week, you could lower your risk by 30%. In addition, strawberries can reduce your cholesterol, oxidative stress, triglycerides, and inflammatory chemicals, such as IL-1β, IL-6 and C-reactive protein.

These berries can also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 18%. That is since it helps to control your blood sugar levels.

Strawberries have also be found in some research studies to reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory chemicals in people at risk of evolving esophageal cancer. Here you need to consume around 60 grams of strawberries per day to act as a defense against esophageal cancer.

The nutritional profile of strawberries are:

One cup (152 grams) of strawberries provides (27):
Calories: 49
Fiber: 3 grams
Vitamin C: 150% of the RDI
Manganese: 29% of the RDI

5 Cranberries

The sour tasting cranberries are packed with goodness. Although they are not eaten raw, but mostly a juice, they are like most other berries contain antioxidant polyphenols. But, as these antioxidants are in the skin of the berry, the juice will not contain a many polyphenols.

Still, cranberries are excellent in reducing urinary tract infections. That is since these berries contain chemicals that prevent bacteria E. coli from clinging to the urinary tract or wall of the bladder, thus inhibiting such an infection.