Good things come in small packages. Berries may be small in size but they are massively healthy. Studies show that berries could be some of the healthiest foods on the planet. They are loaded with phytonutrients and life-extending antioxidants. Learn more about why berries are so nutritious and some practical tips when buying them.

But what exactly are the health benefits of berries?

Let's take a list of the most popular berries and quickly bullet-point the health benefits...

Strawberries

*Rich source of polyphenols (anthocyanins) *Help protect against cancer *Help protect against heart disease *Natural anti-inflammatory properties *Protection against rheumatoid arthritis

Blueberries

*Blueberries have the highest antioxidant content of almost any fruit *Loaded with anthocyanins *Can help slow-down the aging process *Promotes urinary tract health *Protect the cells from free-radical activity *Could help to prevent Alzheimer's disease *Help to improve brain-function *Contains ellagic acid which can help prevent cancer *Could help protect against colon cancer

Cranberries

*Chock-full of antioxidants and phytonutrients *Contain proanthocyanidins that can help prevent disease

Blackberries

*Loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients *Excellent source of vitamin E *Can help fight infection *Contains high amounts of tannin and phenolic acids

Raspberries

*Great source of ellagic acid which can help prevent cancer *Loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants and tannins *Could help prevent cancer and other degenerative disease

I am often asked, "What is the healthiest of the berries?" This is a good question. All berries are fantastically healthy, however; if i could only ingest one berry I would absolutely choose the blueberry. Blueberries could possibly be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They have what is believed to be the highest antioxidant content of any fruit and a plethora of other health benefits. But this does not diminish the healthy benefits of the other berries.

Here are some tips on buying berries...

1. If you can, try and buy organic berries as these will be free of harmful pesticides and other chemicals 2. Try and buy berries that are plump and brightly colored as these are ripe and loaded with phytonutrients 3. Avoid berries that look overly soft or that are bruised 4. Try and use berries soon after purchasing them as they can go bad quickly 'especially organic berries 5. Always cover and refrigerate berries

If you want to take advantage of the health benefits of berries but are finding it difficult to consistently eat fresh berries, there are some supplement options that can deliver the benefits in a powder or liquid form. But like most health products you need to educate yourself and beware of the many hype-driven, low-quality products that exist.

There has been so much media attention given to berries lately that legions of berry-based supplements have popped up on the shelves of grocery stores and health food stores seemingly overnight. Most of the berry-based supplements in the marketplace are low-quality and not worth the investment due to the pathetically low potencies of berry powder.

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