The dark color 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 fiber and rich in nutrients, making them a good choice for anyone trying to maintain or lose weight in a nutritious manner.
Low-Calorie Nutrition
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 fiber, more fiber than a cup of bran flakes, which provide 7 grams. If you are trying to lose weight, blackberries can give you quick energy, and their fiber content can help you stay full until your next meal, preventing you from wanting to snack on more fattening foods.
Heart Function
Blackberry juice may be good for your heart, according to a group of researchers from Policlinico Universitario in Messina, Italy, who published a 2003 study in "Life Sciences," a scientific journal distributed by Science Direct. They observed the antioxidant activity of blackberry juice on vascular tissue damaged by free radicals induced by peroxynitrite, an oxidant that can damage or destroy DNA and cells. Compounds called anthocyanins, they concluded, may increase the juice's antioxidant activity and protect your cardiovascular system from disease.
Motor and Cognitive Skills
A 2009 study published in the medical journal "Nutritional Neuroscience" indicated that blackberry intake may have a positive impact on motor and cognitive skills, which often decline with age. The researchers fed blackberries to aged rats for 8 weeks, after which they tested their ability to perform a series of tasks. The rats that ate a diet supplemented by 2 percent with blackberries displayed better motor performance, balance and coordination than the control group. The blackberry-eating rats also showed significantly greater short-term memory performance. The researchers believe that the polyphenols in blackberries increase antioxidant levels enough to make them potentially beneficial to aging adults.
Oral Health
Eating blackberries may help kill oral bacteria that cause illness. According to Oregon State University, blackberries contain gallic acid, rutin and ellagic acid, compounds that may have antiviral and antibacterial properties. In 2012, researchers from the University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina examined the effects of blackberry extract's antibacterial properties on periodontal health. After testing it on 10 different kinds of bacteria, they concluded that blackberry extract's ability to kill pathogens, along with its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, make it a promising ingredient in products designed to prevent or treat periodontal infections.
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