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Lifestyle

5 Berries You Didn’t Know Existed in This World, But Should

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Tulane chapter.

Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are often what we think of when someone says “berries.” While they’re all very delicious and easily accessible, aren’t you looking for some change in your life?

What if I told you there was more to our regular berry section? These berries will help you the next time you’re deciding to take the “adventurous” route when buying fruit.

Aronia Berry

berries

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

With a former name like the “chokeberry,” this berry was constantly disregarded as an intimidating superfood. Thank God that isn’t the case anymore because this berry has a ton of nutritional value. It’s now called the “Aronia” berry, this nutritional source has higher antioxidant levels than blueberries, acai berries, and goji berries.

This tart treat is all over the shelves in supermarkets today, going from wines to juices to baby food. You can also get the nutrients of the berry in supplement-powder form. Ready to start cooking? Recipes for this berry can be found here.

Maqui Berry

berries

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Delicious with flavor, Maqui berries are rich in antioxidants. While this is all good and fun, they’re extremely rich in delphinidins, which pretty much means they reduce the risk of any degenerative diseases that deal with inflammation.

It is also an aid to weight control because it helps in stopping the formation of new fat cells. Sounds heavenly. It’s difficult to find this berry in most supermarkets, but there are a ton of online stores that sell this berry dried, powdered, or juiced. After buying these tasty berries, you can start making these amazing recipes

Camu Camu Berry

berries

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Camu Camu berries are mostly grown in the Amazon rainforest, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on all the benefits this berry has to offer. This superberry is filled with Vitamin C (even more than oranges!) and anti-viral properties that help to fight off common colds and cold sores. It’s also a great energy booster for those 8 AMs on Mondays. The powder for this berry is easily found online and can be shipped right to your dorm. Like ice pops? Make Camu Camu & Mango ice pops .

Elderberry

berries

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

The expression goes “respect your elders,” but you should also probably start respecting your elderberries. They’re extremely good for your health, with properties that help you to avoid inflammation, cancer, and viruses. Additionally, they’re full of antioxidants which prevent cell damage.

If that wasn’t enough for you, these berries also have a delicious flavor that people like to cook with. The flavor is most commonly found in jellies, wines, and syrups, but you can find the berry in its original form at a local market. Find ways to cook with this berry and start enjoying it for yourself. 

5. Mulberry

berries

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

None of these berries sound good enough? Try this one. The Mulberry, along with being sweet and refreshing, also has a multitude of health benefits that everybody needs. As well as having antioxidants, they are high in iron which is a rare quality for a berry to have.

This makes ’em super special, which is why you should add them into your life. It’s easy to put them into your diet when you can find them locally and eat them as they are. Or you can change things up and make the berries into a cobbler, which is just as sweet.