By: Consumer Reports
By: Consumer Reports
Of all the delicious and healthy fruits that are in season, fresh blackberries may be the best of the harvest. They are the main sources of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that fight diseases and can help reduce the risk of various age-related conditions. However, they are also highly perishable and often expensive, which can make you hesitate to buy them. Next, we explain why you should buy and eat berries frequently, you will also find buying and storage tips to reduce their cost and make them last longer at home.
Among its many nutritional benefits, blackberries provide potassium , magnesium , vitamins C and K and fiber. They are low in calories and relatively low in natural sugars and contain prebiotics – carbohydrates that help fuel the healthy gut bacteria.
Many of its benefits can be attributed to anthocyanins (compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their red, purple or blue colors). Eating blueberries, a rich source of anthocyanins, 3 times a week can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study by 2013 in BMJ magazine . And one study that followed people for up to 24 years and was published in 2016 in BMJ, found that those who regularly ate foods high in anthocyanins, mainly blueberries and strawberries, gained less weight than those who ate them less frequently.
The Blueberries and strawberries are also healthy for your heart. According to a study of more than 85, 000 women published in the journal Circulation, people who ate these berries more than 3 times a week compared to those who ate them once a month or less for a period of 20 years had a 34% less risk of heart attack. And in a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by 2019 , eat the equivalent of a cup of blueberries daily for 6 months improves heart health test results in overweight and obese adults with metabolic syndrome. (This condition increases the risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes.) Eating blueberries regularly has also been shown to help lower systolic blood pressure.
“On average, people who eat more berries seem to live a little longer,” says Eric Rimm , ScD, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health who has investigated berries. Rimm suggests enjoying a cup of berries a day when in season to reap the benefits.
Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are also powerful foods for learning and memory, says Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Ph.D., neuroscientist at the Center for Nutrition Research Humana on Aging from USDA Jean Mayer at Tufts University in Boston. According to a Harvard study of 20 years of women older than 70 years, eating blueberries at least once a week or strawberries at least 2 times a week can delay cognitive aging by up to 2 and a half years. And in Shukitt-Hale’s research, older men and women who ate the equivalent of 1 cup of fresh blueberries every day for 3 months performed better on learning and memory tests than those who received a placebo. Ongoing research suggests that strawberries and raspberries may have similar benefits, he says.
Locally grown blackberries are the freshest, so look for them in the farmers market or supermarket. Plus, the price is better when the berries are in season and most abundant in your area, says Joan Salge Blake, RDN, professor of nutrition at Boston University. If there are two-for-one sales, consider buying extra to freeze and use year-round. “Freezing doesn’t destroy any of the compounds; in fact, it can preserve some, ”says Shukitt-Hale.
To help fresh berries last longer at home, store them in a covered container in your refrigerator and do not rinse them until you’re ready to eat them, says Salge Blake. (Lining a container with paper towels and removing the stems from the strawberries will also help them last a week.)
• The blackberries have the highest amount of potassium (233 mg per cup) and almost as much fiber as raspberries.
• The Cranberries have compounds that help generate new nerve cells in the brain and increase their communication.
• The raspberries (red, black and gold) have the most fiber (8 grams per cup) of any of these berries.
• Strawberries are rich in vitamin C: approximately 85 mg per cup. (Men’s daily need is 90 mg; for women, 70 mg.)
Editor’s note: A version of this article also appeared in the issue July 212544 July Consumer Reports On Health .
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Consumer Reports no has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a just, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports , Inc.