Could you make a list of varieties of berries? The common ones are strawberry, cranberries, blueberries and mulberries. The fact is the list of berry fruits could be very long though some of them could be really toxic. When talking about the health benefits of berry fruits, the list is even longer and most people will wonder what kind of health benefits of mixed berry smoothie they will get if they combine all berries into one delicious smoothie?
Common Varieties of Berries and Their Health Benefits
As mentioned above there are a lot of varieties of berry fruits and the list could be more than a hundred varieties. However, to get all the amazing health benefits of mixed berry smoothie, you don’t need to hunt rare or exotic berries because common varieties of berries are enough. Below is the top ten list of common varieties of berries with delicious flavor and packed with amazing vitamins and minerals that could be made into tasty and healthy smoothie.
- Strawberry
For strawberry itself there are over 600 varieties. This berry is probably the most well-known berry on earth with the benefits of strawberry as below:
- High in antioxidants to help fighting free radicals.
- Excellent source of phytonutrient which is great for brain.
- Great for vision and prevent macular degeneration that could lead to blindness.
- Super food for brain especially for children during development stage.
- Natural liver protector.
- Blueberries
The distinctive blue color of blueberries is the strong indication of the presence of anthocyanidins, a powerful phytonutrients with specific function for:
- Neutralizing the damages caused by free radicals due to strong antioxidants content found in this type of berry.
- The benefits of blueberries for weight loss are no longer a secret.
- Promotes optimal production of collagen which is essential for skin cells regeneration.
- The top source of antioxidant among other type of berries.
- Great for heart and protect cardiovascular system.
- Bilberries
Bilberries are mostly mistaken as blueberries. In the size, bilberries are smaller than blueberries with some additional benefits as below:
- Good for diabetic patients and could be consumed as healthy snack.
- Promotes healthy blood vessel by relaxing the vessel to optimize blood distribution.
- Natural eye protector to promote better vision.
- Blackberries
The unique appearance of blackberries is the reason why this fruit is very popular aside from the sourness of the flavor.
- Blackberries are excellent source of pectin that is beneficial for human health.
- Excellent Source of soluble fiber to promote healthier and better digestion.
- Cranberries
The juicy texture of cranberries is the reason why this berry is commonly found in cake or consumed as jam.
- Good for oral organs such as preventing tooth decay.
- Protect respiratory system.
- Excellent for weight loss due to the organic acid contents found in cranberries.
- The anti-aging properties found in cranberries are excellent solution to fight premature aging.
- Raspberries
Raspberries are like the red version of blackberries but of course with some additional health benefits as below:
- Promotes younger skin and prevent premature aging that could cause wrinkles and dull skin.
- Recommended berries to be consumed during pregnancy and by lactating mothers.
- For women, raspberries are also recommended to help reducing the symptoms of PMS and improve menstrual circle.
- The combinations of phytonutrients and antioxidants found in raspberries make this berry is strong immunity booster.
- Goji Berries
Goji berries are also well known as wolfberries. This type of berry is originated from regions around Tibet and Nepal and among the top Chinese herbs health which has a lot of benefits; some of them are as below:
- Promotes sexual vitality for both men and women.
- Excellent source of all the health benefits of beta-carotene.
- Natural treatment for cancer patients to reduce the side-effect of chemotherapy for cancer patients.
- Goji berries contain some active compounds to help optimizing the brain cell development for children.
- Acai Berries
Originated from Amazon rainforest, this type of berries are only well known among the locals until the last decades when acai berries were introduced to the world for its benefits as follow:
- The well-known health benefits of acai berry are as natural solution for weight loss. Acai berries are one of the weight loss foods commonly consumed in the form of weight loss supplement.
- Excellent energy booster.
- Slowing down the aging process for healthy and younger skin.
- Cherries
Not everyone knows that cherries are actually just another type of berries. The small size of the fruit is actually packed with tons of nutrients with benefits as below:
- Promotes healthy tissue.
- Acts as pain-killer. It is excellent solution to deal with light headache or migraine.
- Natural treatment to insomnia.
- Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant is one type of berry commonly used as food flavoring. It is due to its unique and sweet flavor of the berry. Not only that, blackcurrant smoothies could give you a lot of health benefits such as:
- Acts as anti-inflammations and natural pain killer.
- Excellent home remedy to light fever and sore throat due to the anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents contained.
- Prevents the degenerated cells that cause the macular degeneration in senior people.
Cautions of Mixed Berry Smoothie
Logically the more berries you add the more health benefits you will get. However, you should be smart enough to mix several types of berries to get the right flavor because some types of berries, the flavor could be really sour while other types of berries could be really sweet. It is one of the things you should remember when mixing several types of berries along with the cautions below.
- Those who are allergic to certain type of berries are recommended to avoid all types of berries.
- The sour flavor of berries could cause bloating or other stomach problems. That is why combining it with the right type of berries could reduce the sourness of the flavor.
- Berries are very juicy and some of them are very sweet. Though it is super high in antioxidants but for those who have been diagnosed with certain types of diabetes should consume the smoothies in moderate amount only.
- You should be careful with the mixed berry smoothie you find in the market. Read the ingredients first to avoid high consumption of refined or artificial sweeteners.
- If you want to add dairy products to your smoothies is better to choose yogurt over milk to optimize the benefits.
Everyone loves berries especially children. Mixed berry smoothie could be a great alternative for parents to make sure their children are consuming enough fruits. Furthermore the colorful combinations of berries could attract children to enjoy this healthy and tasty smoothie. Moreover, if you don’t have enough time to make smoothie, there are also benefits of drinking berry infused water you and your family could enjoy.