With summer well and truly upon us, tucking into our favourite fruits may never have felt so appealing.
Much is said about the health value of fruits but one particular type often comes up on top.
Berries, or fruit, should be part of your daily diet say health experts, whether that be strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries or even Goji berries.
In fact, they can have been described as being one of the healthiest foods you can eat.
From improving brain health, lowering cholesterol, reducing blood sugars and even protecting against cancer - berries are the key for a longer and healthier life.
Strawberries
Research published in the journal Nutrients claims strawberries are the key to boosting longevity.
The delicious fruit helps with a number of key conditions which could hamper longevity.
These include lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and reducing the risk of cancer.
Strawberries contain a wide arrawy of nutrients and polyphenols, which appear to halt the growth of cancer cells found in animal studies.
One study led by Dr Eric Rimm, associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, looked at how fruit could help protect women against heart attacks.
The 18-year research found that women who consume strawberries and blueberries were 34 % less likely to have suffered a heart condition compared to those who abstained from the fruit.
The heart-healthy reason for this comes down to their antioxidants content which has been proven to protect against oxidative stress and inflammation which are all major contributors to heart disease.
Blueberries also contain specific flavonoid molecules which help fight DNA damage which slow down age-related damage to brain cells.
Alongside its multitude of health benefits, blueberries ability to naturally lower cholesterol levels are most noted.
This is down to the fact they are high in soluble fibre.
Soluble fibre assists in lowering cholesterol by binding around the bile in the guts and helping to remove that bile.
Bile is a waste which is made of several things including cholesterol.
When soluble fibre binds around the bile, it helps to remove cholesterol further reducing other age-related diseases.
Brain health
Recent clinical research has demonstrated that berries can prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and improve movement and brain function.
Scientific evidence suggests that eating blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other fruits is beneficial for brain health and may help prevent age-related memory loss and other changes
Researchers believe that eating fruits can benefit the ageing brain and may help to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Burns fat
Berries are a great source of fibre, making them a great metabolism-boosting food.
According to a new study from Ehime University, raspberries are effective at burning visceral fat, or belly fat as it is sometimes referred to.
Other studies in mice and test tubes have shown that ketones, a compound in raspberries, could speed up the metabolism and increase the breakdown of fat, including the deep internal belly fat.
