Eating berries are great for snacks and just in general for the many nutrients they contain. They are considered some of the healthiest foods you can consume. Eating a variety of berries is perhaps better for additional health benefits. Here Adda Bjarnadottir, HealthLine.com, shares incite on nutritional facts and health benefits of mulberries:

“Mulberries are the fruits of mulberry trees (Morus sp.) and related to figs and breadfruit.

The trees are traditionally grown for their leaves — mainly in Asia and North America — as they’re the only food that silkworms eat (1Trusted Source).

They carry colorful berries — most commonly black, white, or red — that are often made into wine, fruit juice, tea, jam, or canned foods, but can also be dried and eaten as a snack.

Due to their sweet flavor, impressive nutritional value, and various health benefits, mulberries are gaining popularity worldwide (2Trusted Source).

This article reviews mulberries, including their nutrition and benefits.

Nutritional Facts

Fresh mulberries consist of 88% water and only have 60 calories per cup (140 grams).

By fresh weight, they provide 9.8% carbs, 1.7% fiber, 1.4% protein, and 0.4% fat.

Mulberries are often consumed dried, similar to raisins. In this form, they contain 70% carbs, 14% fiber, 12% protein, and 3% fat — making them fairly high in protein compared to most berries.

Here are the main nutrients in a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of fresh mulberries (3Trusted Source):

• Calories: 43
• Water: 88%
• Protein: 1.4 grams
• Carbs: 9.8 grams
• Sugar: 8.1. grams
• Fiber: 1.7 grams
• Fat: 0.4 grams

Carbs

Fresh mulberries consist of 9.8% carbs, or 14 grams per cup (140 grams).

These carbs are mostly simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose, but also contain some starch and fiber.

Fiber

Mulberries have a decent amount of fiber, corresponding to 1.7% of their fresh weight.

The fibers are both soluble (25%) in the form of pectin and insoluble (75%) in the form of lignin (1Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

Fibers help you maintain a healthy digestive system, decrease cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of many diseases (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

Vitamins and Minerals

Mulberries are rich in many vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C and iron:

• Vitamin C. An essential vitamin that is important for skin health and various bodily functions (9Trusted Source).
• Iron. An important mineral that has various functions, such as transporting oxygen throughout your body.
• Vitamin K1. Also known as phylloquinone, vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone health (10Trusted Source, 11).
• Potassium. An essential mineral that may lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
• Vitamin E. An antioxidant that protects against oxidative damage (14Trusted Source).

Health Benefits of Mulberries

Mulberries or mulberry extracts may be beneficial against several chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (32Trusted Source).

Lower Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an important fatty molecule present in every cell of your body. However, elevated blood cholesterol levels are linked to increased heart disease risk.

Animal studies show that mulberries and mulberry extracts can reduce excess fat and lower cholesterol levels. They may also improve the ratio between LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol (20Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).

Additionally, some test-tube experiments suggest that they reduce the formation of fat in the liver — potentially helping prevent fatty liver disease (34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).

Improve Blood Sugar Control

People with type 2 diabetes are at risk of a rapid rise in blood sugar and need to be careful when they eat carbs.

Mulberries contain the compound 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which inhibits an enzyme in your gut that breaks down carbs.”

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Read More … Article Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/mulberries#benefits