Mulberry trees are native to Asia and North America as they are the only food for silkworms. Mulberries are fruits obtained from mulberry trees. They contain colorful berries, mostly white, black, or red, that are used to prepare fruit juice, tea, jam, canned foods, or dried and consumed as a snack. They are loved for their high nutritional value.
What is the nutritional significance of mulberry? This question is a concern for many people and probably why many haven’t considered this fruit due to inadequate awareness. With matters of food, safety is paramount, and more shreds of evidence on the nutrition content of berries are required to help society upgrade its diet.
Many benefits are associated with this fruit. Some include: lowers cholesterol levels, reducing cancer risk, and controlling blood sugar. Due to increased nutritional diseases in society, there is a need to explore much mulberry fruit. This article will highlight the nutritional facts and benefits of mulberry, along with everything you need to know.
Nutritional Facts
Mulberries are often eaten dried, similar to raisins. When they are in this form, they consist of 14% fiber,70% carbs, 3% fat, and 12% protein, making them rich in protein compared to most berries. By fresh weight, they give 1.7% fiber, 0.4% fat, 1.4% protein. Fresh mulberries contain 88% water and only consist of 60 calories (140grams) per cup.
Carbs
Fresh mulberries consist of 10% carbs in simple starch, sugars, and insoluble and soluble fibers. They have high water levels and are low in calories. These carbs are often simple sugars, like fructose and glucose, consisting of starch and fiber. Fresh mulberries have 14 grams in one cup (140 grams) and 9.8% carbs.
Minerals and Vitamins
Mulberries have high minerals and vitamins, specifically iron and vitamin C:
Firstly, potassium is an important mineral that may reduce blood pressure and lower the chances of heart disease. Secondly, Vitamin C is a vital vitamin for skin health and different body functions. Thirdly, vitamin K1, also called phylloquinone, is essential for bone health and blood clotting. The other thing is that iron plays a major role in transporting oxygen to the entire body. Lastly, Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects against oxidative damage.
Fiber
The fibers are both insoluble (75%) in lignin and soluble (25%) in the form of pectin. Mulberries contain an appreciable amount of fiber which corresponds to their fresh weight. Fibers assists you decrease cholesterol levels, lowering your risk of many diseases, and maintaining a healthy digestive system.
Health Benefits
Anticancer Effects
Research indicates that antioxidants in mulberry juice reduce oxidative stress, which reduces the risks of cancer. The elevated level of stress in the body has been shown to cause oxidative damage in tissues and cells linked with increased cancer risk. Polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids contained in mulberry have anti-oxidative properties that remedy the risk of cancer.
Traditional Chinese medicine used mulberries as a solution to cancer. Studies indicate that mulberry leaf has anticancer activity against human liver and cervical cancer cells. Mulberries are good sources of vitamin C, iron, and several plant compounds that have been associated with lowering cancer risks.
Anti-Diabetic Effects
Individuals having type 2 diabetes are at risk of an immediate rise in blood sugar. Most studies indicate that mulberry leaves supply several compounds that might assist in preventing diabetes. These compounds are 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) which prohibits the absorption of carbs into your gut. Additionally, these leaves may de-escalate high blood sugar and insulin levels, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Maltodextrin, a compound found in mulberry leaves, is a starchy powder that rapidly boosts blood sugar levels.
Therefore, mulberries are important in combating diabetes by slowing down the rise in blood sugar after a meal. Rutin and myricetin are compounds found in mulberry which help in preventing the risks of cancer. Some compounds in the mulberry slow the metabolism of sugars in the gust, causing low absorption into the blood. Administration of mulberry leaves helps in maintaining the purpose of beta cells in the pancreas.
Lower Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an essential fatty molecule present in all cells inthe human body. However, increased blood cholesterol levels are associated with heart disease risk. Research indicates that compounds in mulberry help in lowering cholesterol levels and improve heart health. Mulberry extracts help in reducing fat and reducing cholesterol levels. They also help in improving the ratio between HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Studies show that mulberry extracts reduce the formation of fat in the liver, which assists in preventing fatty liver disease. Experiments indicate that hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) patients reduce cholesterol by 6.73% after consuming freeze-dried mulberry fruit regularly for six weeks.Furthermore, it indicated an improvement in non-HDL and HDL cholesterol ratio, which might lower cardiovascular risk. High doses of mulberries might have an essential impact on cholesterol. Mulberries have high contents of vitamin C and iron, and other plant compounds associated with a potential to lower cholesterol.
May Promote Heart Health
Compounds from mulberry trees may improve heart health by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels, decreasing inflammation, and prohibiting atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). The increase of plaque in the arteries can cause heart disease. Mulberry contains high fiber content and has 25% of the soluble pectin. Extracts from this These fruits have a high level of antioxidants which are greatly considered due to their cardio-protective effects.
The extracts from the mulberry tree reduce the level of fats in the bloodstream. Anthocyanin reduces free radical damage adding in the forbidding of LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidation. Consumption of meals with high vitamin C helps the body to develop resistance to diseases. These fruits are a reliable source of minerals like potassium, a compound of cells and body fluids that assists in controlling blood pressure and heart rate.
Conclusion
The nutritional facts and benefits of mulberry have been well elaborated on in this post. The nutrients found in it play a great role in improving the body’s immunity. The fruit helps control some diseases; therefore, it favors everyone who lives a healthy life. Fruits are essential foods that all people need for the body. Make this fruit a choice in all the meals.
MS, Lund University, Sweden
Nutrition plays an important role in human life. Eating habits are one of the factors that affect our health. There is often a misconception among people that nutritionists force a very restrictive diet, but that is not true. In fact, I don't ban any products, but I point out dietary mistakes and help change them by giving tips and new recipes that I've tried myself. I advise my patients not to resist change and to be purposeful. Only with willpower and determination can a good result be achieved in any area of life, including changing eating habits. When I don't work, I love to go climbing. On a Friday evening, you are most likely to find me on my couch, cuddling with my dog and watching some Netflix.
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