On each morus tree, you’ll find a food that can be a few different colors (such as purple or red) called the mulberry. When mulberries are at their ripest, they are among the sweetest fruits that you can find. Though they aren’t as popular in the United States compared to other berries like the strawberry or blueberry, you will see them from time to time. They would be more common if it weren’t for the high amount of pollen that the trees yield.
Mulberries can be found in your local supermarket in most regions around the world, especially in Europe. There are a lot of different uses for mulberries, but we want to talk about what they can do for you when you eat them. Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional value of mulberries, and the proven health benefits you get when added to your weekly diet.
Nutrition of Mulberries
Most fruits tend to be very low in calories, but mulberries are among the lowest with just 60 calories in each one cup serving. That same serving gives you two grams of protein and a solid 10 percent of your daily recommendation of fiber. With only a half gram of fat and no cholesterol in mulberries, you’re getting a huge nutritional boost. Vitamin C is the most abundant in the vitamin category with more than 80 percent of the daily value and there’s a significant amount of vitamin K at 14 percent.
Other vitamins under 10 percent (but still significant) include vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B6. There aren’t many minerals in high amounts within mulberries, but you do get nearly 15 percent of your daily iron suggestion. Coming in around five to 10 percent include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper. All in all, mulberries have a wide range of nutrition without many of the calories.
Disease Prevention
The first thing you notice with the nutritional value of mulberries is the fact that it’s filled with vitamin C. At nearly an entire day’s worth of vitamin C in each serving of mulberries, you can create more white blood cells to fight off illnesses created by viruses such as the common cold or influenza. A great aspect about vitamin C is that there’s no overdose, as your body will get rid of any excess vitamin C without harm.
Mulberries are also filled with antioxidants, including some rare ones such as anthocyanin and resveratrol. These antioxidants have been shown to eradicate certain diseases while also fighting off certain forms of cancer. Mulberries have been linked with a reduction in chances of prostate cancer and other forms overall by eliminating cancer causing free radicals that can ravage the body.
Blood Boost
We often think about our most important organs such as the heart or brain, but we usually don’t give much consideration to our blood flow, which is just as important. You can dramatically increase your blood health by eating mulberries, starting with the high level of iron in each serving. When you get enough iron, you increase the amount of red blood cells in your body to help carry oxygen to all of your vital organs.
That’s incredibly helpful for those that feel fatigued throughout the day, which may be a sign of anemia. You’ll also cut down on the chances of strokes and blood clots by eating mulberries (or drinking the juice) while also cleansing your blood overall. For those that have had too much to drink the night before, mulberries have been shown to be one of the fastest ways to recover as it metabolizes alcohol from the body.
Seeing Clearly
As you start to get older, you might notice that your vision isn’t quite what it used to be. If you have to get a stronger prescription every year, you might not be getting the right type of vitamins in your diet. Vitamin A is among the most important for your vision, which you can find in each serving of mulberries. Vitamin A and vitamin C fight off the free radicals that attack your vision, keeping your sight intact.
It’s not just the long term health of your eyes that mulberries can help, as those that are in front of a computer many hours per day will find a benefit. Antioxidants and vitamins in mulberries relieve the strain on your eyes that can come from staring at computer screens. If you want to have fewer headaches during the day while also preventing age related problems such as macular degeneration or cataracts, mulberries are a great choice.
Looking Good
If you want to enhance your appearance by dropping a few extra pounds and create healthier looking skin, then you should certainly be opting for fruits such as mulberries. Since they have a fair amount of fiber and low amount of calories, mulberries are perfect for any weight loss plan as you’ll feel more full thanks to the fiber while still getting a wide range of vitamins and minerals without worrying about eating too many calories.
Among those nutrients are vitamin C, which naturally helps your body to produce collagen that increases the elasticity of your skin. Other antioxidants and vitamins also prevent signs of aging, while also clearing your skin and scalp to give it a healthier glow. When your scalp is clear, you’ll have improved hair growth that comes in thicker and faster. Long story short, mulberries help you look your absolute best.
Stronger Bones
One of the nutrients that doesn’t get quite enough love in the health world is vitamin K, which has a lot of benefits, especially for your bones. Vitamin K is one of the building blocks to bone health, and combines with the phosphorus and calcium in each serving of mulberries to increase bone density and strength. Those that get enough vitamin K reduce their chances of fractures in the short term and osteoporosis in the long run. Eating mulberries also help you recover from bone injuries faster, though hopefully you won’t have to worry about that!
Summing it Up
There are a ton of great benefits that you get from each serving of mulberries, which might leave you wondering if there’s a catch. There aren’t too many side effects to worry about when eaten at the suggested amount, though some research suggests that the extract (not the fruit itself) could increase blood sugar, which isn’t a good thing for diabetic. The actual mulberry fruit shouldn’t have much of an effect on blood sugar, however.
Since mulberries contain a lot of powerful antioxidants, it might interfere with certain medications, so make sure to speak with a doctor if you’re on any sort of medication to see what you can or can’t eat. The extract of mulberries tends to have the side effects while eating the fruit doesn’t yield problems, so just be mindful of what you’re putting into your body. With that in mind, you can easily add mulberries to any diet and start enjoying the taste and great health benefits today!