The sweet, tart taste of a fresh summer berry is revealed when you pop it between your teeth and the juices inside spill forth. It is a delicious and tasty snack or dessert when paired with some whipped cream. Even better, berries are usually considered good for diabetics.
You can enjoy their sweet flavor every day.
Berries Provide Anthocyanins
Most berries have an intense red, blue, or purple color that is credit to the flavonoids known as anthocyanins. These compounds are more than just colorants: they also help plants protect themselves from environmental stressors.
In recent years, researchers found that these compounds may also fight inflammation, disease, and even improve cholesterol levels.
Benefits Of Berries
One study published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed eating anthocyanin-rich foods was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes. Those who gained these benefits ate primarily blueberries, apples, and pears.
Multiple researchers pulled data from the Nurses’ Health Study II for their own studies that generally found anthocyanin-rich foods defends the body against cardiovascular disease. One group of 93,600 healthy women who ate more than three servings of blueberries and strawberries per week were followed for 18 years and had a 34% lower risk of a myocardial infarction.
It’s thought that the anthocyanins in these fruits help reduce arterial stiffness and blood pressure. This is important for diabetics as they have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Anthocyanins may also defend the body against cancer in a variety of ways.
- acting as antioxidants
- activating detoxifying enzymes
- preventing cancer cell proliferation
- inducing cancer cell death
- providing anti-inflammatory effects
- inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels
- preventing cancer cell invasion
- inducing differentiation
You can easily gain the benefits of anthocyanins by adding them to your diet. Try to get two to three servings a week of berries rich in anthocyanins, such as blueberries, blackberries, grapes, black currants, elderberries, or strawberries.
[expand title=”References“]
Anthocyanins. URL Link. Accessed May 23, 2017.
Dietary Flavonoid Intakes and Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In US Men and Women. URL Link. Accessed May 23, 2017.
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