Berries are renowned for their sweet taste and high levels of nutrients and fiber. They are also rich in antioxidants such as anthocyanocides and flavonoids and the phytochemical ellagic acid. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, these compounds may help prevent skin, bladder, esophagus and lung cancers.
Blackberries
One cup of fresh blackberries has 62 calories, 13.84 g of carbohydrate and 7.6 g of fiber. It has 42 mg of calcium, 0.89 mg of iron, 29 mg of magnesium, 32 mg of phosphorous, 233 mg of potassium, 26 mcg of folate, 1.68 mg of vitamin E and 30.2 mg of vitamin C. Small amounts of B-complex vitamins and vitamin K are also present. Their anthocynanin content ranges between 100 and 600 mg per 100 g of fruit. Blackberries also offer 3.4 to 6 mg of ellagic acid per 100 g. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or ORAC, score is one way of measuring foods’ antioxidant capabilities. Blueberries’ ORAC value falls between 24 and 77 per gram.
Blueberries
The ORAC of blueberries ranges between 12 and 24 per gram, and their anthocyanin levels, which give them their color, are between 122 and 182 mg per 100 g. Blueberries also contain about 3.11 mg of the antioxidant flavonoid querticin per 100 g. A cup of blueberries weighing 145 g has 83 calories, 1.07 g of protein, 21 g of carbohydrate, 3.5 g of fiber, 9 mg of calcium, 0.41 g of iron, 9 mg of magnesium, 17 mg of phosphorous, and 112 mg of potassium. It is equally vitamin-rich, with 12 mg of vitamin C, 9 mcg of folate, 78 IU of vitamin A, 28 mcg of vitamin K and many of the B vitamins.
Strawberries
Per 100 g of fruit, strawberries contain 450 to 1,000 mcg of anthocyanin and 570 mcg of ellagic acid. The ORAC value of a gram of berries is about 15. A cup of fresh strawberries contains 46 calories, 11 g of carbohydrate and 2.9 g of fiber. Its mineral profile is as impressive as the other berries’, with 23 mg of calcium, 0.6 mg of iron, 19 mg of magnesium, 35 mg of phosphorus and 220 mg of sodium. It is especially high in vitamin C, with 84.7 mg per cup, and also offers small amounts of many of the B-complex vitamins.
Black Raspberries
A cup of black raspberries has about 64 calories, almost 15 g of carbohydrate and a significant 8 g of fiber. It contains 31 g of calcium, 0.85 g of iron, 27 mg of magnesium, 36 mg of phosphorous, 186 mg of potassium and 32.2 mg of vitamin C. It is also particularly high in folate, with 26 mcg per cup. Small amounts of the other B-complex vitamins and minerals are present, as are 41 IU of vitamin A and 9.6 mcg of vitamin K. Their rich color indicates a high anthocyanin level – about 214 to 589 mg per 100 g. There are also 5.37 mg per gram of ellagic acid per 100 g. Black raspberries’ ORAC score is 77.
References
- American Institute for Cancer Research: Foods That Fight Cancer?: Berries
- Berry Health Benefits Network: Health and Healing Fact Sheets – Blackberries
- Berry Health Benefits Network: Health and Healing Fact Sheets – Blueberries
- Berry Health Benefits Network: Health and Healing Fact Sheets – Strawberries
- Berry Health Benefits Network: Health and Healing Fact Sheets – Raspberries
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