The One Superfood That Can Help You Live Longer
The best fruit you can consume to live a longer life.
Halinskyi Max / Shutterstock Berries every day keep the doctor away?
According to published author Dr Mark Hyman, “A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that higher intakes of flavonoid-rich berries were associated with a lower overall mortality risk.”
However, what are flavonoids and how can we incorporate them into our diet?
What Makes Berries So Great For Us?
“Flavonoids are compounds found in many plant products, including teas, citrus fruits, and vegetables. They have antioxidant properties and may lower your risk of heart attack or stroke,” writes Kathryn Watson and dietitian Miho Hatanaka.
Flavonoids can get rid of toxins and can help manage cardiovascular disease.
"Known to help our heart health, flavonoids lower blood pressure and cholesterol," according to researcher Ruairi C Robertson and dietitian Amy Richter.
If you deal with stress, flavonoids can tremendously help. Helping to regulate cellular activity, they destroy the free radicals in your body that cause stress.
But there are various types of flavonoids, and they impact us differently. Things like coffee, tea, and soy, lower our risk of a heart attack or stroke.
"Despite the various flavonoids, any diet rich in flavonoids can decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer," writes Watson and Hatanaka.
How To Eat More Berries
1. Strawberries
As an active strawberry lover, I was thrilled to discover how beneficial strawberries are. Hyman explains that consuming strawberries can decrease your risk of mortality by 21%.
This is great news as strawberries are easy to consume and incorporate into your diet.
However, "If you would prefer to go to your local markets — strawberry season starts from April through July," writes editor Andrea Beck.
2. Blueberries
If you aren’t a strawberry fan, there are other berries you can consume that are hugely beneficial. Though blueberries are a small fruit they can be crucial to our overall health.
According to Hyman, Blueberries can drop mortality rates by as much as 31%! This is a shocking amount and beats strawberries by 10%.
So, if you are itching to buy some, blueberry season in May through October.
3. Cranberries
You hate strawberries, and blueberries make you want to vomit — there is another option. Cranberries are just as beneficial as blueberries and decrease the risk of mortality by 31% too.
Throughout the colder months from October through December — stop by and pick up cranberries from your local market.
3 Simple ways to add more berries to your diet
1. Canned fruit
If you can’t stand the taste of water you’re in luck! There are canned berries you can buy that combine fruit and water. A tasty drink — this alternative option lacks the sugars that juices and syrups incorporate.
2. Creative incorporation
Don’t be afraid to add berries throughout your regular diet! Add berries to yogurt or create fun oatmeal recipes. But if that’s not your thing, try incorporating berries into your desserts! When you bake banana bread throw in strawberries and blueberries for extra benefits.
Or bake a dessert focused on a specific berry like strawberry pie. Just be sure to go easy on the sugar.
3. Family engagement
Family competitions can encourage anyone — and may help meet your berry goals. If you’re dying to add berries to your diet, try and make a game out of it.
Organizing taste tests and seed-spitting competitions can help you and your family consume more berries. But if you are looking for a practical solution, try to meal prep together as a family.
Sit down and find creative ways to add strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries into your daily diet. You may be surprised by what you come up with.
By incorporating berries into your diet you can improve both you and your family's health.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, and family topics.