Can anything compare to the aroma and taste of berries, warmed by the sun and picked ripe off the vine?

These fruits, produced from the ovary of a flower, have important roles in the health of wildlife as well as people. Native Americans collected and dried berries, using them in many dishes and for relief from illnesses. They were on to something, as these jewel-like berries are brimming with phytochemicals, which are responsible for their brilliant colors and health potential.

Let’s take a closer look at two favorite summer berries: raspberries and boysenberries.

Raspberries

Delicate, sweet, red raspberries are one of our favorite berries, and they’ve been used by people as traditional health treatments throughout history. Each raspberry (or blackberry) is a marvelous collection of mini-fruits, each containing a single seed. They both grow on canes that bear white-pink flowers that can self-pollinate, but get a helping hand from bees.

Nutrition & Health: Raspberries are packed with nutrition for a skinny little calorie load—only 64 calories per 1-cup serving. The seeds and skins boost the fiber content to 8 grams per serving—one of the highest sources of fiber in the fruit world. In addition, they provide omega-3 fatty acids (155 milligrams [mg]), vitamin C (54% daily value [DV]), vitamin K (12% DV), and manganese (41% DV), and some folate, vitamin E, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and copper.

But it’s the phytochemicals—anthocyanins, ellagic acid, quercetin, and catechins—in raspberries that have scientists intrigued. In combination with the vitamin C in raspberries, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory profile is impressive. While there are many potential health benefits, raspberries are particularly good for your heart. They can reduce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, blood cholesterol levels, and blood pressure, and improve the health of blood vessels and blood glucose levels.

Raspberries are best enjoyed plain and simple—just pop them in your mouth. They’re also delicious over breakfast porridge bowls, baked in bars and cobblers, tossed into bright veggie salads, and served as an accompaniment for savory dishes.

Boysenberries

A cross between raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries, boysenberries have soft skins and a tart-sweet flavor.

Nutrition & Health: With only 66 calories per one-cup serving, boysen­berries boast 8 grams of fiber per serving, as well as omega-3 fatty acids (135 mg), vitamin C (50% DV), vitamin K (36% DV), copper (12% DV), and manganese (47% DV). They have appreciable levels of vitamins A and E, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

Boysenberries are also potent in phytochemicals—namely anthocyanins, gallic acid, rutin, and ellagic acid. In fact, scientists call the blackberry family “the king of berries” because of their high levels of antioxidant compounds linked with their deep purple color.

While boysenberries are certainly good for your heart, researchers are particularly intrigued by their potential cancer-fighting ability. Laboratory studies have shown that berries in the blackberry family may slow or reverse the growth of esophageal, colon, and breast cancer.

The dark purple, ruby-rich color and flavor of boysenberries make them a unique helper in the kitchen. Of course, they make beautiful classic pies and crisps and are delicious over pancakes or cereals, but they are also great in sauces to accompany savory dishes, such as meats, fish, game, and grain dishes. Boysenberries offer sweet flavor to kale or spinach salads and a blast of deep color to smoothies.

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