Berries are like tiny bombs of flavour that burst with sweetness and fruitiness in every bite. That’s why they’re easily one of the best toppings you can add to your favourite breakfasts and desserts.
But more than the flavour, berries are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that can do wonders for your body, which is why lots of different berry varieties are often referred to as being super berries.
If you’re planning to eat healthier, there’s no easier way to start than with super berries.
Below are some of the many benefits that you can get from super berries.
Nutrients You Can Get from Super Berries
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most common vitamins in super berries.
As we all know, vitamin C is great for strengthening the body’s immunity which makes us better at warding off diseases. Aside from that, vitamin C also helps the body in producing collagen, which is essential for healthy skin.
Fibre
High-fibre content is also one of the claims to fame of super berries, making them a great staple in a weight loss diet.
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate. But unlike most carbs, your body can’t digest fibres and break them down into glucose. This makes fibre great in keeping your hunger in check and regulating your blood sugar levels.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is probably one of the most underrated vitamins, but it’s certainly a must-have.
Vitamin K helps your body make proteins that are essential in blood clotting for faster healing of wounds and maintaining healthy bones. This is why vitamin K often gets labelled a great anti-aging nutrient.
Manganese
Another common compound in super berries is manganese. And much like vitamin K, manganese is also great for bone health, specifically bone development and maintenance. It also helps improve blood clotting and is a great contributor to brain and nerve functions.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins, or vitamin B complex as they are called collectively, are also present in some super berries like strawberries.
There are 8 types of vitamin B overall and they all have benefits. But in general, what these vitamins do is that they ensure bodily functions like converting food into energy, creating new blood cells, and keeping the skin cells, brain cells, and other tissues healthy.
Protein
When you say protein the first things that come to mind are meat, eggs, and poultry. Little did everyone know that some super berries like blackberries and raspberries have an impressive amount of protein as well.
While they’re not as high as the ones in animal-based foods, protein in berries will still help you build muscles, bones, and cartilage, speed recovery post-workout, and curb hunger.
Antioxidants
Now, this is probably one of the major reasons why super berries are considered one the healthiest foods on the planet. Most super berries are a great source of antioxidants such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and resveratrol.
Antioxidant-rich foods help fight disease by flushing out free radicals in the body that can damage your cells if not kept under control.
Other Nutrients Found in Super Berries
- Vitamin A
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Potassium
8 Super Berries You Should Try Now
Blueberries
These berries are native to North America but are wildly popular around the whole world. This is not very surprising because these tiny bombs of sweetness pack a punch of nutrients.
Blueberries are a great source of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, potassium, and antioxidants. But it’s not only about what they have but also what they don’t have. Blueberries virtually have no fat and contain very low amounts of sodium and calories (80 calories per cup).
This makes blueberries the preferred fruit to include in a diet because it has a lot of upsides but doesn’t have negative effects on your body.
Fun fact: Blue is one of the rarest colours in nature and blueberry is only one of the few foods that are truly and naturally blue in colour. So, every time you eat blueberries, just keep in mind that you’re eating a rare fruit!
Strawberries
Much like blueberries, strawberries are also rich in vitamin C, fibre and potassium but are low in calories. But that’s not the whole picture. Strawberries can help you fill in the gaps in your nutrition by providing protein, magnesium, and more importantly, 5 of the B vitamins that your body needs.
The best thing about strawberries is that you can consume them in a lot of ways. You can eat it raw, dried, juiced, frozen, or even as a jam. This makes incorporating it in your making your meal plans a lot easier and fun.
Speaking of fun, here’s another fun fact: Did you know that strawberries are part of the Rosaceae family, better known as the rose family? That’s right, you’ve been eating flowers the whole time!
Raspberries
Raspberry is also part of the Rosaceae family. But unlike strawberries that only come in one colour, raspberries have red, black, purple, yellow, or sometimes even golden varieties!
Each variant indicates a unique composition of minerals and vitamins. But no matter the colour, all kinds of raspberries are a good source of fibre, Vitamin C antioxidants, as expected, and have small amounts of vitamin A and B vitamins, calcium, and zinc.
Raspberries have a shorter shelf-life than other berries so it’s recommended that you consume these berries shortly after purchasing.
Blackberries
Our next super berry looks a lot like black raspberries at first glance, but there’s a world of difference between the two.
First, blackberries don’t have hollow cores. The drupelets of blackberries are glossy and smooth while raspberries are not because they’re covered with tiny white hairs.
In terms of taste, raspberries are sweeter while blackberries taste tarty. But in terms of nutritional profile, both share some similarities.
Blackberries are also high in vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants called anthocyanins. Blackberries are also easy to incorporate into your diet as you can add them to almost anything, from pies to salads, yogurt, cookies, oatmeal and more.
Goji Berries
Goji berries are tiny fruits that are known for their bright red-orange colour and sweet and slightly sour taste. These berries are often sold powdered or dried.
While it’s not as popular as strawberries and blueberries, Goji berries are not to be underestimated. They are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and fibre.
Since Goji berries are mostly available in dried form, you can add them to anything you like, from smoothies to soups, salads, or even salsas.
Acai Berries
The Acai berry is a grape-like fruit that grows on acai palm trees native to the rainforests of South America. They are deep purple in colour and could grow for about 2 cm in diameter.
Although 80% of the fruit is its seed, the yellowish flesh of acai berries is still undeniably good. They’re not sweet like the more popular berries, but rather earthy, like a combination of blackberries and unsweetened chocolate.
These berries are often sold as frozen fruit puree, dried powder, or juice since they have a very short shelf life.
Acai berries contain fibre, vitamin A, calcium, manganese, potassium and anthocyanins that give acai berries their deep colour.
Try Superfoods Acai Berry 10:1 Organic Extract Powder.
Maqui Berries
Much like the acai berry, the maqui berry is also a dark-purple fruit that grows in South America. The difference is that the maqui berry is a more exotic fruit than the acai.
These wild berry fruits are harvested mostly by the Mapuche Indians of Chile who have been using the plant, from stems to leaves and stems, for medical application for thousands of years.
Maqui berries are often labelled as a superfruit because of their high antioxidant content and anti-aging effects.
Since maqui berries are exotic and very hard to source, its powdered version Maqui Berry Freeze Dried Powder is a more accessible and equally great option.
Elderberries
Elderberries are tiny dark purple fruits of the black elder tree, hence the name, that grows mostly in Asia, Northern Africa and the warmer regions of Europe.
Unlike most berries, they are not really sweet. Instead, they’re very earthy in terms of taste.
This berry contains vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, calcium, iron, magnesium and fibre and was used traditionally by indigenous people to treat fever while ancient Egyptians used it to heal burns.
Nowadays, elderberries are still used to treat normal colds and flu. So if you’re feeling under the weather, try Superfoods Australia Organic Elderberry Powder for a great pick-me-up beverage.
Takeaways
If you want a simple yet healthy and nutritious meal, you can’t go wrong with adding super berries to your diet. Super berries are rich in vitamins and minerals but are low in calories and sugar. This nutrient profile allows you to enjoy these nutritious fruits all the time without feeling guilty.
Check out our collection of super berries and try one of our freeze-dried powdered berries! We offer free express shipping on all AU orders.
