So, why should you eat more foraged berries? Foraging is a fun activity for all the family, you can slip on your wellies and head out into nature to gather wild food for free. For our distant ancestors foraging would simply have been a way of life.
Depending on where in the world you live, the berries you have access to will vary wildly. If you’re in Europe you’ll be very familiar with Blackberries, if you’re in a warmer climate thenBlackberries may be growing abundantly. These tiny superfoods add a subtle hint of sweetness while packing an antioxidant and phytonutrient punch. They benefit your health in multiple ways.
Benefits of Berries for Different Parts of Your Body
Berries have multiple benefits for various parts of your body. Here are just some of the conditions they help treat.
1. Heart Health
If you think a glass of red wine is the best thing you can do for your heart health, think again. Alcohol raises blood pressure, and while the effects of one drink wear off quickly, the cumulative impact can result in problems.
Instead, why not reap the benefits of foraged berries for heart health? These superfoods lower blood pressure and cholesterol while reducing oxidative stress. You get a trifecta of goodness for your ticker each time you sprinkle some blueberries or raspberries in your yogurt or parfait.
2. Eye Health
Does glaucoma or macular degeneration run in your family? You run a higher risk of these diseases if you have a history, which can eventually lead to blindness.
However, you might be able to halt the progression due to the benefits of berries. Bilberries can prevent or reverse macular degeneration, and blueberries and cranberries contain bioflavonoids. These substances strengthen the capillaries that carry nutrients to your eyes and nerves and may prevent vision loss.
3. Immune-Boosting
2020 will go down in history as the year of COVID-19. With no vaccine in sight, plus cold and flu season on the way, you should do everything you can to boost your immunity.
Berries contain high levels of vitamin C, which may shorten the duration of the common cold. Research indicates that taking 200 milligrams daily may reduce the time you spend coughing and sniffling by 8%.
Fortunately, you can also improve resistance to other germs sweetly by adding more berries to your diet. Add one-quarter cup of sugar and one-eighth cup of orange juice to 3 cups of mixed fruits like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. It’s an ideal dessert alone or with a melt of vanilla ice cream on top.
4. Glowing Skin
One of the benefits of berries is their rich supply of antioxidants. These substances fight free radicals that can prematurely age your skin and leave it wrinkly.
Are you planning an at-home spa day? Why not add a handful of raspberries to your cucumber water to sweeten it? Cucumbers are high in vitamin B-5, which helps combat acne. When combined with the berries’ antioxidant properties, you have the ideal beverage to treat tricky combination skin.
5. Effortless Weight Loss
Do you need to lose the dreaded “quarantine 15?” One of the benefits of berries is that they may aid in weight loss. A single cup of blueberries contains four grams of filling fiber, but only 84 calories. Choosing them for dessert instead of a chocolate bar or piece of cake can keep you fuller longer — so you aren’t tempted to snack later.
Plus, the flavonoids within may help bust that hard-to-lose belly fat. According to one British study, women who had tons of these healthy substances in their diets had 9% less excess weight around the waist.
“On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries clung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels.”
– Charles Dickens
Berries offer so many benefits that many writers like Charles Dickens have penned verses about these miraculous fruits. Include more foraged berries in your diet and reap the benefits, always leave some for the birds.
If you want to reap the benefits of berries, there are dozens of sweet ways to add them to your diet. Here’s to one of the most delicious ways to improve your health.
