A golden berry is a real fruit that’s in the same family as the blueberry. When it comes to nutrition and health benefits, they are more than just a pretty golden color. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals which makes them great for your body. However, it can be hard to know how many berries you should eat in a sitting or daily intake. Today we will take a look at some of the most important facts about golden berries and how you can use them in your diet.
What are golden berries (aka Physalis peruviana)?
Not to be confused with goji berries, fresh golden berries have a papery husk, like tomatillos, which the fruit peels away from quite easily. The tart flavor is perfect for anyone who likes to cook with cranberries or sour cherries in sauces and other dishes. And the bright orange-yellow fruit pops right out of those deep-colored buds!
They require a warm climate with plenty of rain to grow most famously in South America in the Peruvian mountains. (Mine were grown in Colombia). But, lucky for all of us living in the United States, Rutgers University is researching the feasibility of growing golden berries in the Northeastern U.S., and they are also grown in Hawaii.
How Much Berries To Eat Daily
It’s estimated that nearly one in 10 Americans fail to reach their daily fruit recommendation. With an ever growing focus on personal health, finding ways to reach this recommendation is a must. As a wholesale food distributor, E. Armata Inc. can help you achieve this goal. If you’re a huge fan of berries, we can answer the question of “how much berries to eat daily” that is on the top of your mind. We’ll also share which types are the healthiest, so you can work on never missing out on eating the recommended amount again. Whether you eat them fresh or frozen, making them a daily part of your diet can be wonderous for your overall health.
How Many Berries Should You Eat Daily?
If you’re looking to start living a healthier lifestyle, one of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. These types of foods are rich in many vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to thrive. They can also help ward off a variety of medical ailments. The recommended amount of fruits and vegetables to consume each day is 400 grams. Most people break this down into five servings of 80 grams. Though many types of fruits and vegetables can be consumed to hit this mark, the sweetness of this fruit makes them an excellent choice for consumption.
Goldenberries Nutrition Facts
These super berries contain possibly low levels of calories and apparently sufficient levels of most vitamins and minerals; however, the real value of this fruit is the concentration of antioxidants. Polyphenols and carotenoids are powerful elements of human health, and golden berries contain significant amounts of them. When combined with the other nutrients, these antioxidants make this fruit very desirable, which explains its widespread use and demand across the world.
How to eat Goldenberries?
Goldenberry is naturally sweet and tart, which makes it a popular ingredient in various cakes, sweets, and baked goods, as well as salads and fruit salads. Other simple ways to enjoy it are listed below.
- The berries can also be eaten by themselves, fresh or dried, as a healthy snack
- You can add goldenberry to your salads for a flavorful boost
- Blend the berries in your morning smoothie for natural sweetness
- You can top your yogurt with fresh or dried golden berries
- Dip the berries into the chocolate sauce for a dessert
8 Health Benefits of Golden Berries
Find out 8 golden berries benefits below.
1) High in Antioxidants
The most important benefits of golden berries are derived from their high antioxidant content.
Antioxidants are plant compounds that protect against and repair the damage caused by free radicals, which are molecules linked to aging and diseases, such as cancer. This makes them an ideal nutritional supplement for preventing certain chronic diseases, including various types of cancers.
Antioxidants, like the carotenoids and polyphenolic compounds found in golden berries, neutralize free radicals. These are the damaging by-products of cellular metabolism that causes healthy cells to transform into cancerous ones.
Additional research has shown that polyphenols stop the spread of various types of cancer. This makes it a very important food source in many parts of the world. It’s what makes the golden berry a superfood.
2) Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
One of the other effects of antioxidants is a reduction in inflammation. If you have arthritis, gout, muscle aches, chronic pain, or even hemorrhoids, anti-inflammatory properties and compounds soothe these conditions and increase your quality of life.
In one study, an extract from the husk of golden berries reduced inflammation in mice with inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflammation of the arteries and blood vessels is very dangerous for the cardiovascular system. Goldenberries improve heart health by reducing strain and preventing the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Impressive, right?
It also effectively lowers blood pressure, further decreasing the symptoms of hypertension.
3) Diabetes management
Some of the compounds found within golden berries slow the breakdown and intake of simple sugars from carbohydrates. Hence consumption of the golden berries allows for the body and bloodstream to not be flooded with sugar. It also enables insulin receptors to be regulated appropriately.
Drastic blood sugar fluctuations are the leading cause of diabetes. It can be very dangerous. The goldenberry is an effective preventative method and treatment for type 2 diabetes.
4) May Improve Vision
For those of you with weak eyesight, you may want to stock up on golden berries. Their high carotenoid content helps boost your vision. Carotenoids eliminate oxidative stress on the ocular system. This prevents the development of cataracts and macular degenerations. Which aids your vision in top working order as you age.
5) May Boost Immune system
Studies in human cells note that golden berries may help regulate your immune system. The fruit contains multiple polyphenols which block the release of certain inflammatory immune markers.
The significant level of vitamin C in a single serving of golden berries makes this a very important fruit for the immune system. Vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells and has certain antioxidant properties.
Vitamin C is also a key component in the production of collagen. This is what the body needs to repair and produce cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels.
6) Useful for Weight loss
Goldenberries are also a guilt-free snack with only 53 calories per 100 grams. These tiny fruits also deliver a large percentage of your daily nutrients, without any fats or calories, helping to keep your weight loss goals on track. You can easily add them to oatmeal, yogurt, and other healthy snacks, or eat them on their own.
7) May Fight Prostate Cancer
Cancer is one of the worst diseases in the world. But thanks to this wonderful and natural fruit, it is the only fruit which has been proven to combat prostate cancer, a common disease among mature and older men
Studies have found the consumption of the golden berry directly from the garden, may help to fight prostate cancer.
However, results are only noticed after consistent consumption of the fruit. Research on mice, reported in the journal Drug Design, Development, and Therapy, finds goji berries may inhibit tumor growth and boost the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
In addition, other health benefits of the golden berry include:
- Improving digestion
- Purifying blood
- Lowering cholesterol levels
- Being a natural diuretic
- It’s rich in phosphorus and proteins which support the growth of the body
- Being a strong energizer
8) Bone Health
Some studies also suggest that golden berries (physalis pruinosa) may benefit bone health. This is because they are a rich source of vitamin K, which plays a role in the development of healthy bone turnover rates.
Side Effects Of Golden Berries
(1) Too Many Antioxidants Are Bad
Goldenberry is a popular fruit that grows naturally in Asia. It is rich in nutrients and vitamins including vitamins A, B6, C, E, K, iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, folate, fiber, and protein. It helps improve digestion, boost immunity, reduce inflammation, prevent heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and even depression.
However, there is some concern about the amount of antioxidants found in Goldenberries. In fact, it has been suggested that large doses of antioxidants might actually be dangerous. This is because we do not know how much is safe and what the long-term effects of excessive intake might be.
For example, researchers have reported that people who take large quantities of Vitamin A over a period of several months suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea. They also experience skin changes such as dryness, flaking, peeling, itching, redness, and scaling.
In addition, studies suggest that people who consume large amounts of Vitamin C over a short period of time may develop kidney stones. And, according to research published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, people who eat a lot of Vitamin E may be at greater risk of getting prostate cancer.
So, how much is enough? We don’t really know. But, experts say that most people shouldn’t worry about eating too many antioxidants. Instead, they recommend that you try to balance out your diet with foods containing antioxidants. For instance, you can include fruits and vegetables in your meals, especially those that contain beta-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. You can also add spices and herbs to your dishes. These ingredients provide additional health benefits.
(2) May Lead To Weight Gain
Golden Berries are a fruit that is native to North America. They are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They are also low in calories and fat. One hundred grams of golden berries contain just under 50 calories. If you are trying to lose weight, then consuming golden berries will help you achieve your goal.
But, if you are already getting all the nutrients you need through your diet, then consuming too many golden berries could cause you to put on weight. Goldenberries are also rich sources of dietary fibers, which when eaten in excess can increase the risks of malabsorption and poor digestion.
(3) May Increases The Risk Of Hypoglycemia
Goldenberries are one of those rare foods that people love to eat because it looks like candy. But some people don’t realize how dangerous eating too many goldenberries could be. A study published in the journal Food & Function found that overeating golden berries may increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia occurs when there is low blood sugar, caused by either a lack of insulin or a decrease in the amount of glucose stored in the body. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion, irritability, sweating, hunger, weakness, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, tingling sensations, numbness, and seizures. If you experience symptoms of hypoglycemia, contact your doctor immediately.
(4) May Increases The Risk Of Hypotension
Goldenberries are very useful for lowering blood pressure but should consume in moderation. Too much potassium in our bodies may lead to hypotension and this may increase your risk of having a heart attack. A healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables will help control your blood pressure. Eating too much of the goldenberries causes hypotension which is dangerous. People who take medicine for treating hypertension should not eat golden berries.
(5) May Put Burden On Kidneys
Goldenberry juice contains antioxidants that help protect our kidneys against damage caused by free radicals. But it can also make us pee too much. If you drink enough goldenberries to meet the daily recommended intake, you could end up putting a burden on your kidneys. This happens because the fruit contains compounds called flavonoids that act like diuretics.
Flavonoids are found in many fruits and vegetables, including apples, citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, grapes, peppers, tea, chocolate, red wine and walnuts. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that help fight off free radical damage in cells. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can harm DNA and cell membranes. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and prevent further damage.
The amount of flavonoids needed to provide protection varies depending on how sensitive someone’s kidneys are to being damaged by free radicals. For people whose kidneys are very sensitive, one cup of goldenberries per day might be sufficient. However, those with less sensitive kidneys might require four cups of goldenberries per day to achieve the same level of protection.
For most adults, consuming three cups of goldenberries per week provides adequate protection against free radical damage. One cup of goldenberries equals about half a pint. So drinking six glasses of goldenberries each week would mean that you’re getting close to the maximum dose.
If you regularly consume more than three cups of goldenberries each week, you’ll want to talk to your doctor about whether you should reduce your intake.