Blackberries

Blackberries contain compounds that may help protect you from heart, brain and cell damage.
The dark colour in blackberries makes them stand out in fruit salads and desserts, but it also indicates a high concentration of antioxidants. Research suggests that their vitamin content may help reduce your risk of heart problems, periodontal disease and age-related decline in motor and cognitive function. Blackberries are low in calories, virtually fat free, high in fibre and rich in nutrients, making them a good choice for anyone trying to maintain or lose weight in a nutritious manner.

A cup of raw blackberries has 62 calories, less than a gram of fat, 2 grams of protein, no cholesterol and only 1 gram of sodium. It also gives you 7.6 grams of fibre, more fibber If you are trying to lose weight, blackberries can give you quick energy, and their fibre content can help you stay full until your next meal, preventing you from wanting to snack on more fattening foods.
Eating blackberries may help kill oral bacteria that cause illness.

The anthocyanins that give blackberries their dark color are antioxidants shown to reduce inflammation by helping combat free radicals in the body that destroy cells and lead to heart disease. Vitamin C in blackberries acts as an antioxidant, and one cup of this delicious berry contains half of the daily recommendation of vitamin C. The immune system uses vitamin C to fight illness adequate vitamin C intake may lower the risk of developing heart disease. One cup of blackberries contains over thirty percent of the daily recommended amount of fibre, promoting healthy digestion and reducing the risk of heart disease.

As are all berries, blackberries are a great source of ellagic acid, an antioxidant shown to protect the skin from damage from ultraviolet light. Studies have also shown that ellagic acid may also repair skin damaged by the sun. Vitamin C helps heal wounds, and studies also show vitamin C may even lessen the appearance of wrinkles. Studies of cyanidin-3-glucoside, a compound found in blackberries showed it prevents skin cancer by inhibiting tumors from growing and spreading.

Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant in blackberries and one cup contains half of the daily recommendation of vitamin C. The body uses vitamin C for protection from immune system deficiencies, and may reduce the chances of macular degeneration, a condition in which fine vision deteriorates, resulting in central vision loss and is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.

Just one cup of blackberries contains over thirty percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber, which promotes healthy digestion and aids in maintaining bowel regularity by bulking up the feces and reducing the time it takes matter to pass all the way through the intestines. Bowel regularity is commonly associated with a decreased risk for colon cancer.

Thirty percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber is to be found in just one cup of blackberries. The steady movement of fiber through the digestive system allows for a measured breakdown of food into its component parts. This even breakdown of food helps to curtail extremes regarding simple sugar uptake from the digestive tract. An excess of simple sugar uptake all at once can produce an unwanted blood sugar spike. A lack of simple sugar uptake may produce a rapid blood sugar drop. Either extreme can upset blood sugar balance. The quantity of fiber in blackberries helps avoid both extremes.
Bone Health
Blackberries are a good source of vitamin K, offering 36% of the daily recommended amount of this nutrient used by the body for the clotting of blood and to aid the absorption of calcium.