I could be rattling off the benefits of berries for pages and pages. I could dedicate a whole website simply to the benefits of these wonderful little fruits. Alas, it is unlikely you have time to read it all (and I probably don’t have time to write it all either!), so I thought long and hard about what the best benefits to eating berries are, and I have summarized it all into a nice little ‘bitesize’ format. This means less reading for you, and more time eating berries!
Antioxidants
Free radicals are awful things. They naturally occur in the body when our metabolism is working, although external factors can greatly increase the number of free radicals floating around. They cause cell damage, and they may even increase your chances of certain disease. You don’t need them there. You don’t want them there.
Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and just about all berries are high in them. If you want the highest concentration of antioxidants, then go for:
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
Can level out insulin levels
High blood sugar is never a good thing, although nowadays the foods that we eat are laden with all sorts of processed sugar which causes cell damage, among a whole host of other conditions. Even if you are normally healthy, high blood sugar could be causing untold amounts of damage to your cells and you won’t know until it is too late.
Studies have shown that berries can help to level out blood sugar levels, particularly if you are obese. You will have a better insulin response.
Note: if you are suffering from diabetes, berries are not a treatment. They can help, but you should continue any other treatments you are currently using.
High in Fiber
We don’t get enough fiber into our diet nowadays. There are several things fiber does. This includes making you pass stools a little better.
Fiber can help with weight loss, though. It slows down the speed at which food moves through your digestive system. This can help to reduce feelings of hunger and, ultimately, reduce your need to constantly eat.
Tons of nutrients
You will be surprised at how many nutrients are packed into just a small number of berries. In fact, a single serving of 144 grams of blackberries will give you:
- Vitamin C (50%)
- Folate (9%)
- Copper (12%)
- Vitamin K (36%)
- Manganese (47%)
Of your daily required amounts, and it will only take up 62 calories. Crazy, right? Very few foods out there are this ‘nutrient dense’.
Evidence show berries lower cholesterol levels
This can help to reduce the risk of heart disease and all sorts of other conditions (and yes, once again, this means cell damage)
Fantastic for your skin
All the nutrients and antioxidants that are floating around in berries can be great for giving you a more ‘youthful’ appearance.
Can help to prevent some forms of cancer
Finally; berries can help to protect against some forms of cancer. No, it is not 100% guaranteed it will, but studies have shown that free radicals can cause enough cell damage to form some forms of cancer. Since you are fighting those free radicals with those antioxidants, you may find that certain forms of cancer are kept at bay.
Remember; this is just scratching the surface of why you should be eating berries today! Try and get some more of them into your diet!
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