Red berries are delicious fruits that grace pies and tarts. There are many types of red berries such as strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, red mulberries and goose berries.
These are tasty fruits but they also have promising health benefits that can greatly impact your health and encourage their consumption. Some toxic red berries also exist that are dangerous to eat and have to be processed before consumption.
Red berries are nutrient-packed foods.
They contain flavonoids and one of the most important flavonoids in red berries is quercetin. Quercetin has antioxidant properties as it fights off free radicals that can start a chain and cause cellular damage.
Cellular damage paves the way for aging, cancers and other diseases. Therefore, red berries can be used to avoid aging and cancers. Quercetin was also found to augment the immune system and to help the management of health problems such as heart disease, allergies and chronic fatigue.
Red berries, especially raspberries and strawberries, are great choices for diabetics. They have low glycemic indices and so they are very safe for people suffering from diabetes. Also, their sugar is fructose which doesn’t require insulin for its metabolism.
Red berries are high in fibers.
This is known to normalize the bowel movements as fibers help stool to solidify and softens it because it absorbs water. Therefore it is easier to pass, and this reduces the likelihood for hemorrhoids occurrence. Fibers also tend to make one feel more full as they slow down the bowel movement and therefore you can eat less if your diet is rich in fibers. Berries can aid in weight loss.
Berries are some of the main sources of anthocyanin that are known for their health benefits.
Anthocyanins are what give berries their dark distinguished color. Scientific studies have shown that anthocyanin consumption is associated with protection from cardiovascular diseases.
Red berries can then be a great diet for post-menopausal women. It was also found to reduce the mortality from heart disease and stroke. Anthocyanins were found to protect against cancers as well. That can be due to their antioxidant properties. A high intake of foods containing anthocynins is highly recommended for a better health.
There are unique benefits to the different types of red berries.
For example, strawberries were found to have high content of vitamin C that can promote the eye health and protect from cataract later on. Also vitamin C in addition to ellagic acid (a flavonoid) were found to promote skin elasticity. Strawberries consumption results in younger-looking healthy skin due to reducing the collagen breakdown and thus limiting wrinkles.
In addition to its high fiber and antioxidants content, raspberries were found to be rich in manganese. It is a mineral that can improve the metabolism. They also promote the bone health as they increase the bone density. Therefore, they can protect from osteoporosis in post menopausal women. They can be used to alleviate pain in case of osteoporosis.
Raspberries are of great value to women since they can prevent the growth of Candida albicans that causes vaginal infections. It is recommended to include raspberries in your diet. They are delicious enough to be used in smoothies, jams and other recipes.
Cranberry juice can protect against urinary tract infections. It contains proanthocyanidins that prevent the attachment of bacteria to the urinary bladder. It can thus be of particular importance to pregnant women and to middle-aged ones. Using the same mechanism, cranberry can prevent tooth cavities. However, you must be cautious about using cranberry juice as it can interfere with drugs such as warfarin that is used for blood thinning.
Red mulberries have vitamin C and fibers as well as a considerable amount of iron. This can help in the formation of red blood cells and therefore they can be of great value to those suffering from anemia. Their consumption during anemia should alleviate some of its symptoms. They have been used in Chinese medicine as blood tonic in order to purify the blood. Red mulberries also contain phosphorus and calcium that can improve the bone health.
Red berries have so many benefits that can improve our overall health as well as beauty. They can maintain our youth and energy. They are delicious and beneficial fruits that should be included in our daily diet.