{"id":789938,"date":"2026-10-02T19:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/789938\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T19:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:30:11","slug":"theyre-delicious-popular-and-versatile-but-how-healthy-are-berries-well-actually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/789938\/","title":{"rendered":"They\u2019re delicious, popular and versatile \u2013 but how healthy are berries? | Well actually"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sprinkled on top of yoghurt, blended into smoothies<\/a> or baked into crumbles, berries are among Americans\u2019 favorite<\/a> fruits.<\/p>\n

Luckily, berries are as healthy as they are delicious and versatile: low in calories, full of vitamins and antioxidants, and a good source<\/a> of fiber. Research shows that, depending on the type, berries support cardiovascular health<\/a>, may boost gut health<\/a> and fight inflammation and show promise as part of a \u201chealthy dietary strategy for diabetes prevention and management\u201d, to quote researchers<\/a>. Meta-analyses<\/a> also link compounds in berries with improved cognitive health.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what experts say about the health benefits of berries.<\/p>\n

Why are berries good for the brain?<\/p>\n

Berries bring a meaningful dose of antioxidants to the table.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBerries\u2019 high polyphenol content is what we think makes them so protective\u201d when it comes to mental processes such as memory and attention, said Maggie Moon, a registered dietitian.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Researchers are investigating<\/a> whether berry polyphenols and the metabolites produced when gut microbes process them may influence inflammation and blood-vessel function. Because the brain depends on an extensive blood supply, better vascular function is one plausible route by which berries could support cognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 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,\u201d said Tim Crowe, a nutrition scientist who closely follows anthocyanin research. \u201cWhat\u2019s good for our blood vessels is also good for our brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The equivalent of a daily cup of blueberries was linked to slightly improved speed of information processing relative to a placebo in older adults with mild cognitive impairment over a six-month period, according to research<\/a> by Mary Ann Lila, a professor in the department of food, bioprocessing, and nutrition sciences at North Carolina State University. That suggests berries could not only be neuro-protective, but an intervention for those already experiencing cognitive decline. \u201cA pretty amazing result,\u201d said Lila.<\/p>\n

A particular pattern of eating called the Mind diet \u2013 a version of the Mediterranean diet geared toward supporting cognitive health \u2013 involves berries. \u201cWe have a strong indication that diets that are higher in berries over many years tend to have slower cognitive decline and delaying of cognitive ageing,\u201d said Moon, who has written a book<\/a> about the Mind diet.<\/p>\n

In the 2015 study<\/a> informing the Mind diet, researchers observed 923 participants. They found those who prioritized whole foods including berries, leafy greens<\/a>, nuts and seeds, beans<\/a>, fatty fish and olive oil \u2013 while avoiding sweets, ultra-processed foods<\/a> and red meat \u2013 for an average of 4.5 years had a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer\u2019s compared with those who did not.<\/p>\n

Which berry is the healthiest?<\/p>\n

Experts say that if you\u2019re eating any berry \u2013 strawberries, blackberries, currants, raspberries, blueberries \u2013 you\u2019re benefiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll berries are good. We should eat a heck of a lot more than we do,\u201d said Lila.<\/p>\n

Each type of berry has its own valuable nutritional fingerprint. Photograph: Xiu Huo\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

However, some studies suggest wild berries may have a bit of a nutritional leg up on their conventionally grown counterparts, because they develop an \u201cabundance of phytochemical resources\u201d to \u201cdefend them against the environment\u201d, Lila said. \u201cThose are the same phytochemicals that when we consume them \u2026 dispel human chronic diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each type of berry has its own valuable nutritional fingerprint. Some punch above their weight in particular categories. For instance, cranberries are the only commercially cultivated berry with a significant amount of \u201ca particular kind of polyphenol called an A-type proanthocyanidin\u201d which helps prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, said Lila.<\/p>\n

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Blackcurrants, meanwhile, provide the most<\/a> vitamin C per cup of raw berries \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

Blueberries contain high levels of anthocyanins, and are colloquially lauded as a superfood<\/a> \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that blue is best. Other varieties could have similar benefits, but blueberries are \u201cthe well-studied one\u201d because they are known to produce positive findings in nutrition research studies, said Crowe.<\/p>\n

Moon recommends eating a cup of berries a day, though she notes that any amount you add to your diet regularly is a net positive. \u201cThe more people are eating fruits and vegetables, including berries, the better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Should we be worried about pesticides on berries?<\/p>\n

Berries usually appear on the Dirty Dozen<\/a>, an annual list made by the non-profit Environmental Working Group. The EWG tests produce for pesticide residue and the results often make headlines, causing people to wonder whether they should be avoiding certain fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

It is important that pesticide residue on organic and conventional produce remain below the regulatory limits. In the US, these are set by the Environmental Protection Agency, and monitored and enforced by federal regulators such as the Food<\/a> and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture. But mere detection of a substance doesn\u2019t automatically translate to a dangerous concentration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dose makes the poison, and detection is not the same as harm. The very real benefits of eating a variety of any produce, including berries, outweigh theoretical risks,\u201d said Moon. \u201cNo major scientific or public health organization recommends avoiding conventionally grown produce, including berries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d need to eat hundreds of servings of each food to even hit the safety threshold, which is already 100-1,000 times lower than a level that could theoretically cause harm,\u201d writes science communicator, microbiologist and immunologist Dr Andrea Love in her 2025 assessment<\/a> of the Dirty Dozen.<\/p>\n

What are the best ways to eat berries?<\/p>\n

\u201cFresh and frozen berries have fairly similar nutrient profiles,\u201d said Moon. Frozen berries are flash-frozen soon after being harvested, meaning they retain their nutrients well. Frozen berries are convenient and potentially cheaper than fresh ones, added Crowe. Freeze-dried berries also retain<\/a> their nutrients.<\/p>\n

However, anthocyanins are heat-sensitive, and research<\/a> has found that they can be reduced in berries by up to 80% in prolonged, high-heat processes such as jam-making.<\/p>\n

Berries aren\u2019t just for breakfast or sweet<\/a> preparations, either. \u201cOne of my favorite ways to eat berries is a wild berry salsa \u2013 all the ingredients of a salsa minus the tomatoes, with wild blueberries standing in,\u201d said Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful blue, cold dish you scoop up with chips, and since it\u2019s raw, you\u2019re not losing any potency to heat.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sprinkled on top of yoghurt, blended into smoothies or baked into crumbles, berries are among Americans\u2019 favorite fruits.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789939,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[59,102,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-789938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}