Find out how blackberries benefit your health, then pick up some new recipe ideas that incorporate the fruit.
When it comes to summer fruits,blueberries,peaches, and the like often steal the show.
What Are Blackberries?
Photo: Unsplash
Blackberries are small, bite-sized fruits that grow on shrubs.
Additionally, blackberries are native to eastern North America, according toNorth Carolina State University.
Plot twist: Despite their name, blackberries aren’t technically berries.
Furthermore blackberries, like other berries, are excellent sources of antioxidants.
(FYI, anthocyanins are also found in apples, plums, grapes, and other fruits.)
Here, learn aboutblackberry health benefits, according to dietitians and research.
Here’s the lowdown: Oxidative stress takes place if cell-damaging molecules called free radicals accumulate in your body.
May Support Immune Function
Another blackberry benefit involves your immune system.
This nutrient is vital for healthy immune function, as noted byan articlein the journalFrontiers in Immunology.
Vitamin C is also involved in wound healing, according to theAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
So if you’re trying to ward off sickness, loading up on blackberries might help.
May Promote Neurological Health
As an antioxidant-rich food, the humble blackberry benefits your noggin too.
Promote Healthy Digestion
The health benefits of blackberries evenextend to your gut.
The juicy fruit contains both insoluble and soluble fiber, according toVirginia Tech.
This is great news for your GI tract, as both types have perks for digestive health.
Insoluble fiber (which doesn’t dissolve in water) can increase stool bulk, asShapepreviously reported.
The increase in bulk can help stool pass easily through the digestive tract, potentially reducingconstipation, says Brikho.
In contrast, soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance.
This can firm up stool, helping ease diarrhea.
A single cup of blackberries offers nearly30 milligrams of vitamin K, about 30 percent of theRDAof the nutrient.
Chan School of Public Health.
In fact,vitamin K deficiencyis associated withosteoporosis, a chronic condition marked by weak and porous bones.
Skip any berries that are mushy or bruised, which might indicate spoilage.
Otherwise, the moisture will make them spoil quickly.
(This will prevent the berries from sticking together.)
Blackberry Recipe Ideas
Ripe, fresh blackberries are wonderfully sweet, tart, and juicy.
And while they’re certainly delicious on their own, there are plenty of creative ways to enjoy them.
Try combining them with other berries e.g.strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries or banana andpineapplefor a tropical twist.
In salads.Take a tip from Pasquariello and toss halved blackberries into your next salad.
In mocktails.With the help of blackberries, you could naturally sweeten your nextmocktail recipe.
Don’t eat red meat?
Try thisblackberry glazed chicken thighrecipe from food blog Flavour & Savour.
On toast.For a simpler take on jam or jelly, dress up your toast with fresh blackberries.
They pair especially well with creamy ingredients such as butter, cream cheese, or ricotta.
Another mouthwatering option is to top crusty sourdough with blackberries, brie, andhoney, notes Pasquariello.
