A cup of frozen berries a day is as good as medicine: Here's why

Do you love to snack on berries? Now on, you can count it as one of your 'healthy habits,' especially if what you love are the wild varieties. Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, mulberries, cranberries, and more should be included in your diet if you are looking to build healthy diet habits. The wild varieties of these fruits, especially if frozen, can provide you with a rich source of anthocyanins (a pigment found in vegetables and fruits that gives them their colour) that are also good for heart health, brain protection and cancer prevention. Here's how:

What's the ideal quantity
Dr Dawn Mussallem of the Mayo Clinic says that as per studies, two servings of frozen berries a week can help reduce the risk of breast cancer by at least 25%! "It's a great way to start your day. The wild varieties are the best as then, you don't have to worry about whether they are organic or not," she said. 

What's the challenge?
While berries offer a treasure trove of nutritional benefits, people today struggle to develop a taste for them, according to Dr Mussallem. "Our taste buds are so used to the fake, unhealthy foods that often, they can't taste real, natural foods with natural ingredients in them. However, it can be developed in some time," she explains. The processed version of berries can contain extra sugar. Therefore, if you are purchasing the fruits from shops, be sure to check the nutrition facts label. 

Which berry is the best?
While all berries are highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants, experts say the best of the lot is black raspberries. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, they have very little natural sugar, are high in fibre and also have very high levels of antioxidants. Blackberries and marionberries are apparently the second and third-best sources. While not all of them are available in India, India's gooseberry, jamun (aka Indian blackberry), Indian cranberry (aka karonda), brahmi berry, and noni berries are also known for their high nutritional benefits and can be added to your daily cup of berries. However, make sure that you take your doctor's advice to see whether the addition would suit your nutritional requirements and medical history.