White Mulberries- the reason why your antioxidant intake and snack options just expanded – and not your waist line!
Its the new year- its summer and berries are in season! Considering I am the Nutritionist here at Cabot Health- I figured I’d start the year off with some basic nutrition busting information about berries and why they are so bouncing out of your skin good for you. But not any old blueberry raspberry or blackberry – I think I may have a berry that some of you are not familiar with- White Mulberries! Ooh how exciting, more food to eat!
So you think you’ve heard it all about the berries- Gaaawd not the berries again – Well there IS more! Not only are berries chocka block full of vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals, omega 3 fats and fibre! Their ORAC values are through the roof! An ORAC value is a measure value of nutritional awesomeness in a particular food. Ok, so I don’t think you will find the word awesomeness flicking through the pages of a dictionary- ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It’s a lab test that attempts to quantify the “total antioxidant capacity” of a food. Oxidation is a bad thing- that is why ANTI oxidants are just so great for health and longevity. For example your apple goes brown when it oxidizes – oxidation reduces the Anti oxidant content of your fruit- the anti oxidant content is its nutritive and healing strengths!
Ok- so back to the White Mulberry . . .
Naaw look at him, he’s so cute and fluffy- but man does this little fella pack a Nutritional punch- one type of punch you want!
So what about these White Mulberries?
In the name of good health and longevity I will sometimes compromise taste- predominantly with my raw juices – but not here, White Mulberries are addictive! Imagine a large raisin that’s deliciously sweet. That is the taste of mulberries. They have a satisfying firmness and a chewy consistency – its the chewy texture I love most.
White Mulberries are a delicious, naturally sweet super fruit that is an excellent source of:
- Iron – a serving of White Mulberries (28gm) provides about 20 percent of the recommended daily intake for iron.
- Calcium – Calcium rich foods can help maintain strong, healthy bones and support proper functioning of nerves and muscles. Calcium is not made in the body and must be obtained through diet.
- Vitamin C – Vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system to hold off colds and flu’s. It can support optimal function of the nervous system including eye and brain functions. Vitamin C also provides arthritic protection by helping reduce inflammation. A serving of White Mulberries provides about 135 percent of the recommended daily intake for Vitamin C.
- Fibre – You can get 20% of your daily fibre needs in just 1/3 of a cup!
Blood glucose reduction
While many dried fruits contain 30 to 40 grams of sugar (more sugar than a candy bar!), dried mulberries contain less than half the amount of sugar found in raisins and significantly less than dried figs, cranberries, bananas, pineapples, mangos and dates.
The white mulberry leaves have scientists especially excited, since they may help prevent diabetes. A compound called 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) found in mulberry leaves is thought to inhibit sugar digestion so that most sugar is not absorbed into the bloodstream and is instead excreted. Studies suggest DNJ helps prevent spikes in blood sugar. You can drink mulberry leaf tea with your meals to help control blood sugar and possibly prevent diabetes.
Mulberries are delicious straight from the bag. They’re also a great addition to smoothies and trail mixes. They require no preparation. Not only do White Mulberries contain Protein, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin C and Fibre as for mentioned- the big names on my anti oxidant longevity agenda is RESVERATROL and PHENOLS!!
Resveratrol helps promote heart health and longevity. Other benefits of resveratrol include:
- Fighting inflammation
- Revitalizing nerve cells
- Reducing build-up of plaque in arteries
- Lowering LDL cholesterol levels
- Maintaining healthy weight
- Supporting longevity and anti-aging
- Promoting brain and kidney health by protecting against oxidative stress and high blood cholesterol
- Protecting against cancers (breast, colon, prostate, stomach pancreatic and thyroid cancers).
- Fighting liver disease by reducing amount of fat produced in the liver
PHENOLICS
Very powerful and studied for a variety of health benefits including:
- Slowing the aging process
- Protecting against heart disease and tumors
- Fighting inflammation, allergies, and blood clots.
Not sure how to begin incorporating White Mulberries into your diet- check out this trail mix!
Pistachios, Himalayan Raisins, White Mulberries, Goji berries, Macadamia Nuts, Cashews, Cacao Nibs.
Remember- a total of just 40- 50grams of nuts per day is all that is required for a healthy daily intake.
Do you love Macadamia nuts? Me too! And they love you back, just check out the Nutritional stats on these little packets of heart health.
A rich source of healthy fats – macadamias have the highest content of healthy monounsaturated fat (81% of total fat) the same fat as found in olive oil. Like other plant foods, they don’t contain dietary cholesterol. Research has shown that diets high in monounsaturated fats have benefits for heart health and diabetes management.
Daily intake of macadamia nuts has been shown to reduce levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increase ‘good’ HDL cholesterol,7–11 thereby reducing heart disease risk.
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