Berries or red fruits arouse passion, and with good reason: they concentrate incredible amounts of antioxidants and other healthy compounds. And they are delicious!
One of the best moments of any walk through the mountains happens when discover a bush with ripe berries. Smiles appear on faces and, if the plant is not recognized at first glance, the inevitable doubts arise about whether it will be edible.
It is a scene that reproduces those played by our ancestors thousands of years ago, for whom berries were essential. They ate them fresh and dried them to have reserves in the months without harvest.
BERRIES AND BERRIES PACKED WITH ANTIOXIDANTS
Today we probably don’t get as much use out of them, but the protective power of small forest fruits and other red and purple berries or strawberries makes their regular consumption highly recommended.
The key to its benefits for our health is in the color red, as this is due to its antioxidant pigments. Specifically, these are phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins, along with other antioxidant substances.
In any case, each berry has its peculiarities. Therefore, the more variety of red fruits we consume, the greater the variety of antioxidants we will also provide to our body.
They also provide you with plenty of water, good amounts of fiber and sugars, and different minerals and vitamins.
STRAWBERRIES ARE MORE NUTRITIOUS IF THEY ARE ORGANIC
Organic strawberries are not only free of chemical pesticides, but they contain up to 29% more natural substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to studies by María Dolores Raigón, agricultural engineer and professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
They provide you with iron, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
You can try to obtain them from your harvest. It is the easiest fruit to grow, as it grows well in a pot or a vertical garden. Plus it doesn’t need a lot of light.
BLUEBERRIES, A GIFT FOR YOUR VEINS AND ARTERIES
Anthocyanins are responsible for the blue color of this fruit that stains your tongue and multiplies the levels of antioxidants that circulate in your blood.
They are especially indicated to keep blood vessels in good condition.
Take advantage of its season from July to October because fresh blueberries provide you with all their beneficial phenolic compounds. With freezing, many degrade or almost disappear.
RASPBERRIES FULL OF ANTI-RADICAL VITAMINS
Its color brightens the forests and gardens during the summer, but the best comes when you eat it and it floods your mouth with a mixture of acidic and sweet flavors and unique aromas.
They are a great source of antioxidant vitamins: a 100-gram serving provides you with 42% of the vitamin C you need per day and 38% of the E, a surprising figure in a food that is almost fat-free.
BLACKBERRIES TO RECHARGE WITH JOY
There is no summer walk in the countryside in which we do not relive the past of our species as happy gatherers.
The blackberry is a composite fruit made up of a set of 50 to 150 small fruits, each one with its own stone. It provides you with fiber, vitamins C and E, folic acid, some iron, and many anthocyanins.
GOOSEBERRIES WITH ALL THE FLAVOR OF SUMMER
They are ideal to include in creative desserts and sauces that give a sophisticated touch to salads and stews.
But they are also very nutritious. They provide you with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, which makes them cleansing and laxative. And they contain up to 65 phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties!
You can prepare a delicious soft drink by combining, in proportions to taste, stevia, currant juice, lemon juice, and very cold sparkling water.
CHERRIES TO RENEW EVERY CORNER OF YOUR BODY
Cherries pair with youth.
They contain organic acids with purifying and anti-inflammatory effects that allow tissue regeneration. They also provide vitamin C and folic acid.
They are also your allies in promoting sleep since cherries (especially the acidic varieties, such as Montmorency) are rich in melatonin, the hormone we secrete to sleep, rest, and renew ourselves.
