The Top 10 Berries, and Why You Should Eat Them More Often

These dark little berries are very popular in freeze-dried form and are easy to use in hundreds of tasty, healthy recipes such as these low carb blueberry muffins. They have one of the very highest antioxidant contents of the berry kingdom, and there’s overwhelming evidence that they’re superb for fighting diabetes, improving artery function, boosting mood and cognitive health, repairing DNA, combatting heart disease, protecting us from cancer and even reducing the effects of arthritis.

These gorgeous, luscious berries are synonymous with summer, but available all year round in whole, freeze-dried form or as nutritious, crispy slices. In powdered form they’re perfect for milkshakes or ice cream. Strawberries are packed with Vitamin C, fibre and folate, which means they’re brilliant for the health of your heart and digestive system. They also boost the health of your bones and immune system, and an increasing amount of research papers (such as this one) are suggesting strawberries have spectacular cancer-fighting properties too.

These amazing fruits are not widely available in their fresh form in the UK, but they’re popular in dried form. Not only are they thought to promote wound healing and have cancer-fighting properties, there’s increasing evidence they also slow down the ageing process as well. They’re full of copper, selenium, iron and Vitamin C, and have 11 times as much protein as blueberries. Best of all, you can use them to make wonderful snack balls and some amazing granola!

Mulberries used to be everywhere in the UK, but for some reason have disappeared from shops and gardens in the last few decades. They look like elongated blackberries and taste absolutely divine: intensely fruity and fantastically moreish (not that this matters, as they only contain around 43 calories per 100 grams when fresh). In their dried form, they’re awesome in scones and pancakes, or as part of a granola or trail mix. They’re an excellent source of anthocyanins, which countless studies have concluded are magnificent for heart health. You can also choose white mulberries, which are cheaper, taste like honey, and are superb in flapjacks.

These awesome berries are also called Inca berries, ground cherries, cape gooseberries and Chinese lanterns. You may have seen them for sale fresh in larger supermarkets, looking like small yellow tomatoes with a papery husk enclosing the fruit. They really come into their own when dried though, taking on a gloriously tangy squishiness, which makes them brilliant to use in biscuits, breakfast cereals and homemade chocolate bars, or just munched on their own. They have one of the highest Vitamin C contents of any fruit, and not only that – they contain plant compounds called withanolides, which have stunning anti-inflammatory properties and, studies suggest, could have amazing cancer-fighting properties.

Another splendid British summer fruit, raspberries are low in calories and have a very decent amount of fibre. Despite their luscious sweetness, they’re actually a low-GI food, so are great for diabetics looking for something delicious and sweet that won’t spike their blood sugar. They’re very versatile as an ingredient too, and equally at home in a flapjack, an ice lolly or even a cheeky Prosecco cocktail!

Cranberries are increasingly popular at Christmas time, in sauces and stuffings, but they’re good all year round, providing a fruity tartness to dishes like these orange & cranberry overnight oats. They also have absolutely amazing health benefits and are packed with anti-inflammatory compounds. They can inhibit the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the digestive system, have been used for thousands of years to promote urinary tract health, and have exhibited great potential at fighting cancer.

Acai berries (it’s pronounced a-sigh-ee, by the way) are not something you’ll probably encounter fresh in the UK, but Acai powder seems to be everywhere now. It’s often touted as a ‘miracle weight loss’ product, and while there really isn’t any such thing, acai does have some extremely impressive qualities. It contains Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids, has amazing anti-cancer potential, is a great source of anti-inflammatory polysaccharides, and many research papers have concluded it reduces cholesterol levels – such as in this medical trial from 2020.

Another fruit that has fallen out of favour in the last century, gooseberries are most commonly enjoyed in a creamy ‘fool’, in a sauce for game or sometimes in a crumble or a fruit pie. They’re packed with Vitamin C, and have impressive amounts of Vitamin B5 and B6 too. They contain good amounts of copper, manganese and potassium as well as a healthy amount of gut-friendly fibre. Freeze-dried gooseberry powder is a lip-smacking revelation when whizzed up in a smoothie, and gooseberry pieces give yoghurt a tantalising extra flavour dimension!

Blackcurrants are rich in polyphenols, health-giving plant pigments – historically they have been used to dye clothes. They’re a superb source of Vitamin C, and during the Second World War, the British government encouraged their cultivation as oranges became increasingly difficult to import. A 2012 review of the health benefits of blackcurrants concluded they had remarkably healthy effects on our skin, bones, eyes, lungs, brain, kidneys and heart. They’re commonly known as a flavouring for cordials, but they’re also wonderful made into jam, added to yoghurt or baked into cakes.

Here at Healthy Supplies, we have an Aladdin’s cave of berries to choose from – so come and browse our fantastic range of these marvellously tasty and healthy fruits here!