It is summer time and it has been berry season for some time, especially for raspberries and blueberries.

Apart from their amazing taste, you may have heard that these small fruits are bursting with various amazing benefits for our health, ranging from their antioxidant levels to their beneficial effects for reducing inflammation. We are encouraged to include more of them into our diet as they help us intake more fibre while also helping others with better blood sugar regulation.

As part of the superfood series, I wanted to condense some of the information about berries, starting with why they are good for us in the first place while also giving you some more ideas for how to make the best use of fresh berries this summer.

BEST BERRIES BASED ON NUTRITION

Although all berries are very nutritious and extremely good for you, the following berries seem to rank highest in terms of nutrients they contain. All are high in fibre, rich in vitamins and are full of powerful antioxidants.

Blueberries
Raspberries
Goji berries
Strawberries
Black berries
Cranberries

BERRY BENEFITS - WHAT ARE THEY?

High in Fibre

Getting in enough fibre per day, about 30g, is associated with greater bowel health (lower risk of developing colon cancers) and of course keeping you more regular. Additionally, fibre slows down the release of sugar into your blood, which prevents unnecessary sugar spikes that disrupt your energy levels.

Loaded with Antioxidants

Our body naturally produces chemical species called “free radicals” during its many metabolic processes such as digestion for example. These free radicals are chemically unstable species which over time harm the health of your cells and cause inflammation, by robbing other healthy cells with their electrons. During this stage you body enters a state of oxidative stress.
Antioxidants on the other hand are able to lower the number of these free radicals in our body, which means that they restore the balance of free radicals and antioxidants in our body.

Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity refers how responsive your cells are to the hormone to insulin. If we reduce insulin resistance, that means our cells become more effective at up-taking available glucose in the bloodstream preventing a buildup of blood sugar, which over time lowers our chances of developing type II diabetes.

Beneficial for Cardiovascular Health

Due to the high antioxidant level of berries, these antioxidants also promote the health of our cardiovascular system alongside lowering blood pressure and levels of LDL cholesterol, which is the type of cholesterol that deposits on the inside of our arteries causing strokes.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Most berries are rich in Vitamin C and K, as well as the mineral manganese, all of which contribute positively to our health.
Vitamin C is needed for the formation of collagen, absorption of iron and keeping our immune system, bones and teeth healthy.
Vitamin K is needed for making proteins needed for blood clotting and the building of strong bones.
Vitamin B9, also known as folate is needed for proper development of red blood cells which are critical for carrying oxygen around our body.
Manganese helps the body with making connective tissues, bone and blood clotting factors

Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

Cranberries especially are known to contain a specific compound which helps with treating Urinary Tract Infections (UTI), where this compound prevents the sticking of harmful bacteria on the insides of our urinary tract.

Boosts Your Immune System

Berries also have a positive impact on our immune system which is due to their high polyphenol content, which is a type of antioxidant commonly found in berries. With lower levels of oxidative stress, our body experiences less inflammation and infections, meaning that our immune response is triggered less often.

HOW TO EAT MORE BERRIES

Below you can find some ideas with how you can increase your intake of all kinds of berries, while they are currently in season:

Always have some frozen ones in stock (Cheaper + last longer)
Making your own jam at home
Add them into your smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, cereals, baked goods or on top of refreshing deserts
Try incorporating them into salads
Try snacking on berries, fresh or dried, such as dried cranberries
Make infused water with different fruits including berries and mint
Making homemade ice cream with frozen berries

I hope you enjoyed reading into some of the amazing insights berries can offer us, because I certainly had fun writing this.

Now I urge you to go out to your local store, market or even nearby forest/ garden and get some yourself, because right now they really are the best balance of flavor and cost.

Enjoy your summer :)