For your health’s sake, have a berry good day

 Berries are as healthy as they are delicious and versatile: low in calories, full of vitamins and antioxidants, and a good source of fiber. Research shows that, depending on the type, berries support cardiovascular health, may boost gut health, fight inflammation, and show promise as part of a “healthy dietary strategy for diabetes prevention and management”.

“Berries’ high polyphenol content is what we think makes them so protective” when it comes to mental processes such as memory and attention.

Polyphenols are a broad category of plant compounds; in berries, the most active and proportionally meaningful of them are anthocyanins, which also give many berries their blue, purple and red pigments.

In simple terms, the anthocyanins are likely creating a healthy working environment for brain cells by improving blood flow into the brain, which improves oxygenation and nutrient delivery; for our blood vessels.

In a 2015 study those who prioritized whole foods including berries, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, beans, fatty fish and olive oil – while avoiding sweets, ultra-processed foods and red meat – for an average of 4.5 years had a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared with those who did not.

If you’re eating any berry – strawberries, blackberries, currants, raspberries, blueberries – you’re benefiting.

Some punch above their weight in particular categories. For instance, cranberries are the only commercially cultivated berry with a significant amount of “a particular kind of polyphenol called an A-type proanthocyanidin,” which helps prevent recurrent urinary tract infections.

Blackcurrants, meanwhile, provide the most vitamin C per cup of raw berries – about 190mg, compared with only 15mg in blueberries. Raspberries are fiber champions, with 8g, or about a third of your daily fiber needs, per cup.

Blueberries contain high levels of anthocyanins and are colloquially lauded as a superfood – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that blue is best. Other varieties could have similar benefits, but blueberries are “the well-studied one” because they are known to produce positive findings in nutrition research studies.