Are you a person who likes to enjoy fresh drinks? In the summer, fresh drinks are the things that can save us from dehydration. However, now most people worry if too much to drink fresh drinks because of the content of sugar or soft drinks, because there are several Health Risks of Consuming too Much Sugar. Don’t worry! Now there is another alternative where you can enjoy a fresh drink without fear of the dangers of most sugar or soda. This alternative is infused water.
What is infused water?
Infused water is ordinary water that has been dipped or soaked a few pieces of fruits or spices. You can include some kind of fruit or spice to your taste to get the fresh taste you want.
What are the benefits of drinking infused water? The word ‘infusion’ means simply entering. What comes in is the natural flavor and nutrients from the fruit or spices you put into the infused water. So, drinking infused water that uses fruits means you can get the vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants contained in the fruit. However this infused water is free of added sugar.
How is the emergence of infused water?
This is because people know the benefits of water, for example:
- Set the body temperature
- Protecting vital organs
- Improve physical appearance
There are another Health Benefits of Drinking Water that you must know. However, if only plain water, people will get tired of drinking it because there is no taste. Thus, it creates infused water. People begin to insert and soak the fruit or spice, so get a different flavor that brings freshness and helps you stay hydrated. You can store infused water in an airtight glass, in a jar, glass jug, water bottle, gallon jug, or any container according to the best choice for you. Then, you can keep it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
There are many fruits that you can combine to create infused water. However, there are some fruits that you can not use as an ingredient to make infused water such as papaya, mango, banana, soursop, avocado, and watermelon because these fruits have soft flesh so easily broken and easily fermented so acid when used as infused water. One of the fruits that we can be used as infused water is a berry. So, what are the health benefits of drinking berry infused water?
Berry fruit is known for its various benefits. Berries tend to have a sour and sweet taste that has several types:
- Strawberry
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Goji berry
- Redberry
- Cranberries
- Mulberry
Each of these fruits brings its own benefits. For example, you can see the Benefits of Strawberry and Health Benefits of Mulberry Fruit. If you use berries when making infused water, then there are many benefits of drinking berry infused water that you will get. What are the benefits? Let’s see the list.
- The best source of antioxidants.
Berry fruit has many types that contain abundant antioxidant content in each type of berry. Antioxidants are one of the best weapons against free radical attacks and help the body’s performance in neutralizing and overcoming a number of toxins and oxidants that enter the body.
According to a journal report 2014 in BioMed Research International, the body requires little free radicals to fight bacterial and viral attacks. Free radicals can also be found in the body’s metabolic processes.
However, excessive free radicals are very harmful to the body. Excess free radicals can oxidize cells and damage the cells of the body including damaging cell regeneration functions. Antioxidants work to suppress free radical levels in the body while preventing oxidation of cells.
International Journal of Molecular Science 2015 on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Different Types of Berries explains there are several important antioxidant types in berries such as anthocyanin, tannin, quercetin, flavonoids, polyphenols and much more. Antosianin, tannin, quercetin, flavonoid, and polyphenols are antioxidants in berries that serve to protect the body’s cells from free radical attack. So, by drinking berry infused water, you will get enough antioxidants to protect your body from free radicals.
- Prevent cancer
Because berries contain antioxidants, the berry is one of the fruits that can prevent cancer. The research described in the European Journal of Cancer in 2005 and in a review in Food Research International in 2011 showed that berries could be relied upon to prevent cancer. Why? Because one of the functions of antioxidants is to help overcome the oxidation of cells, especially in areas of the liver, digestive kidneys, breast, respiratory and reproductive systems.
According to Authoritynutrition, one of the benefits of berry is to prevent colon cancer, breast, uterus, esophagus, liver, mouth, and so forth. Berry can inhibit tumor growth in the body of the sufferer. So, if you do not want to get cancer, you can start trying to consume berry infused water to get the benefits of antioxidants.
- Anti-inflammatory
Berry has a phytochemical content that is useful to reduce levels of inflammation, relieve pain in the area of inflammation as well as work to repair cell damage effectively. This function can help reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems. If berries are used as ingredients for infused water, it is not impossible that you will feel the benefits of this too.
- As source of fiber
Berries have very high fiber content, especially soluble fiber. Soluble fiber brings many benefits such as:
- Make you full longer
- Smooth the digestive system
- Pressing the calorie level
- It absorbs the excess calories you intake so as to prevent obesity.
In addition to eating directly berry, the content of this berry can be absorbed by your body also through the infused water.
- Lowering blood cholesterol levels
Many studies have proven berries contain acid compounds that work to neutralize the fat content and bad cholesterol in the body. Berries can lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels and help protect LDL cholesterol from being oxidized. You can find this benefits in Raspberry. You can look here to know more about how bad Health Risks of Cholesterol
Other benefits of drinking berry infused water are:
- Nourish the skin – Researchers have proven that vitamin C and E content in berries play a major role in helping to stimulate skin cell regeneration.
- Helps maintain blood circulation – compounds in various types of berries that are shown to help lower LDL or bad cholesterol, help prevent the formation of cholesterol plaque in blood vessels that help maintain healthy blood circulation.
- Can be used to overcome uric acid.
- Controlling blood sugar levels in the body.
There are so many benefits you can get. Start to make berry infused water!