Berries: Just What The Doctor Ordered?

Berries Keep You Mentally Sharp, Thanks to Anthocyanidins

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Women who eat about two servings of strawberries or one serving of blueberries a week experienced less mental decline over time than peers who went without these nutrition powerhouses, according to research published in the Annals of Neurology. In the study, researchers reviewed data from 16,010 women over age 70. Those with the highest berry intake postponed cognitive decline by about two and a half years. “We think that the effect might be related to a class of compounds called anthocyanidins, which is a type of flavonoid,” explains study author Elizabeth Devore, a doctor of science, associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, also in Boston. “These compounds, found almost exclusively in berries, are known to cross the blood-brain barrier and locate in learning and memory centers in the brain.”

To Prevent or Manage Diabetes, Berries Are a Great Choice

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Berries are sweet but not the kind of sweet that should send people with diabetes running. “Because they come with fiber, people with diabetes can include that in their diet as a serving of fruit,” says registered dietitian Nancy Copperman, RD, a nutrition consultant in community health in Georgetown, Texas. When it comes to berries, raspberries are one of the best options because they are packed with fiber. Raspberries contain 15 grams (g) of carbohydrates and 8 g of fiber per cup, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Another stellar choice: blackberries. These berries have 14 g of carbs and 8 g of fiber per cup, per the USDA. Opt for fresh fruit, as juice is stripped of fiber, and plan on eating berries on their own or when added to another nutritious food (like oatmeal), rather than in, say, a carb-rich muffin.

When it comes to diabetes prevention, berries will fit in your healthy diet, too. In fact, a study published in April 2017 in PLOS Medicine found that, of about 500,000 Chinese adults, those who consumed fresh fruit daily were 12 percent less likely to develop diabetes compared with those who avoided it. Fruits that are lower on the glycemic index, which includes berries, might be the best options for blood sugar regulation, the researchers point out. In general, when enjoyed whole, these foods carry a low glycemic load, meaning they are unlikely to cause sharp swings in blood sugar levels.

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