If you love fruit, then berries are likely at the top of the list for you.
But which are the healthiest berries?
Berries are a top-rated fruit for disease prevention due to their high antioxidant levels. In fact, you’ll find the healthiest berries have 10x higher antioxidant properties than most other fruits and veggies. Plus, eating berries may have the power to improve brain health, according to a research review in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The healthiest berries range from acai to strawberries and everything in-between.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best berries. You’ll find the nutritional value of each, along with the health perks of the individual berries.
Here’s a look at the healthiest berries to add to your diet ASAP.
Acai Berries
Looking for an antioxidant boost? Acai berries have more antioxidants than berries you might normally eat. Plus, these berries add a beautiful color to foods. This grape-like fruit comes from the acai palm trees in the rainforests of South America. The flavorful berry is full of fiber and antioxidants and is also low in sugar, making it a perfect berry to include in smoothie bowls or regular smoothies.
About a cup of acai berries contains:
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Calories: 70
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Fat: 5 grams
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Saturated Fat: 1.5 grams
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Carbs: 4 grams
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Sugar: 2 grams
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Fiber: 2 grams
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Vitamin A: 15% DV
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Calcium: 2% DV
Acai berries contain a total of 19 amino acids. It also is rich in oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids, the fatty acids your body needs for energy.
Blackberries
While technically not a berry (same goes for raspberries!), we’ll give it to this fruit because it’s so tasty and beneficial. This summer favorite provides plenty of health benefits. You’ll find they’re high in fiber (what keeps you feeling fuller, longer) as well as plenty of vitamins including vitamin C, K, and manganese.
1 cup of blackberries contains:
- Fat: 1 gram
- Carbs:14 grams
- Sugar: 7 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams
Blackberries are an excellent option to include in your diet during the summer months as they’re low in carbs, calories, and fat.
Curious as to what constitutes a true “berry” in nature? Check out this informative read titled, “Bananas are Berries. Raspberries are Not.”
Blueberries
Not only are blueberries sweet and delicious, but they have several health benefits for those who consume them regularly. Regularly eating blueberries has been linked to lower blood pressure. Additionally, small studies have found blueberries can also help with brain function, too. Plus, these blue health gems are mostly water and are filled with nutrients despite being low in calories.
1 cup of blueberries contains:
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Vitamin C: 24% DV
- Vitamin K: 36% DV
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Manganese: 25% DV
Thanks to these nutrient-rich berries being so popular, you can easily find them year-round to include in your diet. Blueberries are in season all-year-round due to exports of these favored berries. The North American harvest goes from April to late September. The berries you see the rest of the year come from South America.
Cranberries
If you’re going to enjoy cranberries, fresh is definitely best. Once you try fresh cranberries, you’ll want to skip the jelly version in a can forever. These berries are related to blueberries and are filled with tons of vitamins and nutrients.
1 cup of raw cranberries contains:
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Calories: 46
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Vitamin C: 25% DV
- Vitamin A: 9% DV
- Vitamin K: 6% DV
- Vitamin E: 8% DV
- Manganese: 12% DV
Once a year, fresh cranberries are harvested between mid-September through November, which is why they’re such a popular dish during Thanksgiving time!
Elderberries
Hippocrates called his elder tree — where the elderberry comes from — his “medicine chest” and rightfully so. Elderberries have been used to treat a variety of conditions including headaches, fever, joint and muscle pain, and even constipation. Both the berries and flowers of the plant are rich in vitamins — like vitamin C — and antioxidants that may elevate your immune system. Elderberry is most popular for its use as a natural cold and flu remedy.
1 cup of elderberries contains:
- Calories: 106
- Carbs: 26.7 grams
- Fat: 0.7 grams
- Vitamin A: 870 mg
- Vitamin C: 52.2 mg
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Protein: 1 gram
Need a fiber boost? Elderberries can help in that department, too. At 10.2 grams of dietary fiber per cup, you get a good chunk of your daily fiber needs, too.
Important note: Don’t eat raw elderberries as they can be toxic and cause vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. You’ll usually take it in a capsule or try it in syrup or a lozenge.
Grapes
These juicy berries are full of antioxidants and have nutrients that benefit your health in more ways than one. Thanks to an antioxidant called resveratrol, grapes may play a powerful role in reducing inflammation. Red grapes seem to have the highest health benefits.
1 cup of grapes contains:
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Calories: 104
- Fiber: 1.4 grams
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Vitamin C: 5% DV
- Vitamin K: 18% DV
Grapes are perfect for snacking on and offer plenty of health perks. From protecting against certain bacteria and viruses to potentially improving memory, a grape’s health benefits may just be one of the healthiest berries to consume!
Did you know? Grapes come in a variety of colors including green, red, black, yellow, and pink!
Goji Berries
For more than 2,000 years Asian countries have used this red fruit as a food supplement and even as a medicinal option. With 5x the antioxidant power of raisins, these berries are the absolute best. Research shows goji berries have properties that protect the eyes and provide immune support, too.
One ounce of goji berries contains:
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Calories: 98
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Fiber: 3.7 grams
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Vitamin C: 15% DV
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Vitamin A: 42% DV
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Iron: 11% DV
You’ll mostly find goji berries dried. These bright red berries also contain less sugar than raisins, making them a perfect addition to a DIY trail mix.
Check out our post: Goji Berry Benefits Every Fruit Lover Should Know!
Strawberries
These bright red berries are favored for their sweet flavor. But that’s not the only reason to love this tasty fruit. A serving of eight strawberries serves up even more vitamin C than an orange! Plus, with its antioxidant properties, you’ll find these berries are a great source of potassium as well as manganese. Additionally, these fruits are known to lower blood pressure, protect your heart health, and increase your HDL (the good cholesterol).
1 cup of strawberries contains:
- Calories: 46
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Vitamin C: 97% DV
- Manganese: 24% DV
Whether you want to improve your heart health, boost your immunity, or even keep wrinkles away, strawberries may be the perfect anti-inflammatory berry for you!
The Healthiest Berries Provide Powerful Benefits
When it comes to food that’s equally as tasty as it is healthy, you’ve got a winner that stands out.
In this case, berries are the #1 food to always have in your household. Best of all, no matter the time of the year, you’re likely able to get your hands on at least one of the berries from this list.
And if you can’t get fresh ones, frozen options are certainly always better than dried ones. If you opt for dried options, you’ll get less than a quarter of the phytonutrients plus a ton of unnecessary added sugar.
To get the best benefit from berries, keep them on hand whenever you find them seasonally to enjoy in smoothies, salads, plain, and yogurts!
Want to give sea buckthorn berry and goji berries a try? We have two shots that feature each of these unique, antioxidant-rich berries. RESTORE, our gorgeous pink dragonfruit shot contains goji berries. POTENT-C contains sea buckthorn berry.