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Why You Should Eat Berries Every Day — 50+ Recipes
Berries and I have a love affair. I eat them every morning for breakfast with kefir and for snacks too. I recently began adding a red berry phenol powder to my smoothies to get even more benefits, and what a difference it has made. I have over 50 recipes in this article and even more in my Biotic Pro monthly eBooks! I eat a lot of berries and they are a mainstay in my life in so many ways. I know my gut bacteria loves berries and they keep me energized. Those red pigments keep my skin and heart healthy. Your body and microbes love berries. Check out the many benefits, the different types of berries, and all of their unique health benefits. Just try them and see how much better you feel adding berries daily. Mix them fresh or frozen in your kefir and discover just how much you need berries in your life.
Reasons I Have Berries Every Day
Berries have strong anti-inflammatory properties
New research in a nurse's health study (done by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health) was done with 70-year-old women who were found to have reduced cognitive loss when they consumed 1-2 servings of strawberries or blueberries per week. [1,2] Strawberries are also the fifth-best source of vitamin C and they also help regulate your blood sugar. So, many of my afternoons are filled with strawberries. They give me a lift and they taste delicious.
Blueberries and UTIs
I learned a long time ago that it was a good idea to include blueberries in my diet on a regular basis. They helped me a lot when I was younger and would get a urinary tract infection. This was before I found cultured foods, and I would frequently have bouts with UTIs. Blueberries helped me keep them at bay. According to a 1998 study published in “The New England Journal of Medicine,” blueberries have compounds called proanthocyanidins that prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. After I found cultured foods, I never had problems with UTIs, but my blueberry habit stuck with me and it’s one of my very favorite snacks.
Berries and your blood sugar
Adding berries to your kefir means you're getting lots of antioxidants and polyphenols which help fight chronic disease, and they give me tons of energy! They're higher in fiber compared to other fruits and they're rich in vitamin C. Berries may also help regulate your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Human studies suggest that eating berries may protect cells from high blood sugar levels, help increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce blood sugar and insulin response to high-carb meals. [3,4]
Berries have huge anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation is your body's response to infection or injury. However, certain lifestyle choices such as unhealthy food choices and lack of exercise can cause inflammation too. Inflammation is believed to be a contributing factor in diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Berries can help you reduce inflammation and give you sustained energy throughout the day. Inflammation also affects your blood pressure and heart health.
Blueberries contain antioxidant polyphenols called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins from berries may reduce oxidative stress and enhance the function of arteries which lowers the risk of heart disease. [5,6]
Berries Feed Your Bacteria
Berries are loaded with soluble fiber and they feed a very important bacteria, bifidobacterium. This is one of the first bacteria we get when we're born and it helps us digest mother's milk while it builds a strong foundation in the gut. Berries feed this important bacteria, and when you have a lot of bifidobacterium it helps to feed all the other strains too. If you have food allergies, chances are you are low in bifido and other bacteria in your gut. I see this all the time - once you add good bacteria back in with cultured foods, the food allergies disappear. Researchers are finding the same thing. Check out this article to learn more about food allergies and your gut.
Different Types of Berries
Acai Berries: Açaí berries are one of the best sources of antioxidant polyphenols and may contain as much as 10 times more antioxidants than blueberries. They also make wonderful kefir smoothie bowls. You can buy frozen acai berry packs to make smoothie bowls and smoothies that taste wonderful. Health food stores and Costco carry these at affordable prices.
Cranberries: Properties in cranberries prevent the bacteria E. coli from sticking to the wall of the bladder and urinary tract. This is one of the most common reasons people drink cranberry juice, but consuming fresh or frozen cranberries actually provides more benefits and can help reduce the risk of infection. I buy fresh cranberries when they're available in the fall and freeze them for year-round recipes.
Strawberries: Strawberries may keep your heart healthy. A study of more than 93,000 women found that those who ate more than 3 servings of strawberries and blueberries per week had over a 30% lower risk of a heart attack. [7]
Raspberries and Blackberries: Raspberries and blackberries have incredible health properties. They have health-protective compounds that have been tied to lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, and obesity. The natural protective substances in these berries are also linked to better DNA repair and blocking enzymes that trigger arthritis pain.[8,9,10]
Blueberries: This is the berry I eat most often and it is usually wild frozen blueberries for my smoothies. The Wild Blueberry Association of North America states that wild blueberries are even more nutritious than farm-raised blueberry. The Department of Agriculture analysis from 2010 shows the antioxidant values in dozens of fruits and vegetables. This report found blueberries had some of the highest antioxidant values of commonly consumed fresh fruits, and that gram for gram, raw wild blueberries contained double the antioxidants of raw farm-raised blueberries. A Cornell University study also reported that wild blueberries had higher cellular antioxidant activity than farm-raised blueberries.
Cherries: While technically a fruit and not a berry, cherries with their dark color have huge health benefits. For many people, gout can be a painful reminder that something in their body is out of balance and cherries might be of great help. Gout is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. In a study carried out by Boston University Medical Center researchers, people who ate 10 cherries each day reduced their chances of getting gout by an incredible 50 percent. [11]
In another 2013 article in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, researchers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center reported that patients who consumed tart cherry juice felt a reduction in the pain associated with osteoarthritis as well. [12]
Elderberries: Elderberry is the dark purple berry from the European elder tree. The berries are used to make medicine and these dark berries are best known to boost your immune system and help fight colds and flu. Elderberry seems to help in the treatment of influenza A and B viruses. It might also reduce inflammation which always accompanies any kind of illness. [13]
Red Phenol Powder: This is something I put in my kefir smoothies every morning. I just started using it this year and what a difference it has made. My energy went through the roof and even my husband and kids started consuming it and they, too, notice a huge change in energy. Red phenol powder is a powdered mix of berries, fruits, and vegetables. it contains foods such as red fruits (including berries), apples, grapefruits, and vegetables. You can get this just about anywhere. Even Walmart has a brand for sale. It has so many health-promoting benefits and it makes your kefir smoothies taste delicious because the berries makes it sweet! This is the one I use but there are many different brands to choose from. Highly recommended.
Recipes With Berries
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Berries and I have a love affair. I eat them every morning for breakfast with kefir and for snacks too. I eat a lot of berries and they are a mainstay in my life in so many ways. I know my gut bacteria loves berries and they keep me energized. Those red pigments keep my skin and heart healthy. Your body and microbes love berries. Check out the many benefits, the different types of berries, and all of their unique health benefits and recipes. Just try them and see how much better you feel adding berries daily.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582325/
- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/04/berries-keep-your-brain-sharp/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5187542/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23990623/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26891216/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26740254/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23319811/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24706588/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23982695/
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf801381y
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6535740/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120928085354.htm
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15080016/
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