Blueberries vs. Blackberries: Which Has More Antioxidants?

Blueberries and blackberries are both sweet, bursting fruits that are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. Looking at their individual antioxidant levels, blackberries often have more benefits, pint for pint, but blueberries contain a greater amount of antioxidants. anthocyaninsa specific antioxidant that does its job very GOOD. You won’t go wrong eating either berry; here’s how it all breaks down.

Many vitamins, minerals and nutrients are antioxidants or have antioxidant properties. Here’s how four common types of antioxidants found in both fruits compare.

1. Anthocyanins

Which berry contains the most: Blueberries

Anthocyanins are plant compounds that help give blueberries and blackberries their dark blue, black and purple coloring. The compounds have strong antioxidant capacity, that is, the ability to limit damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) calls antioxidant capacity “antioxidant power,” and blueberries are known to have one of the highest antioxidant powers, surpassing the amount found in blackberries.

Benefits: In addition to their damage-limiting effect, anthocyanins reduce inflammation, support your immune system, promote blood circulation to help lower blood pressure, and may even protect brain cells from stress-related damage.

2. Vitamin C

Which berry contains the most: Blackberries

Blackberries win the vitamin C race: A 140-gram serving contains nearly 22 milligrams of vitamin C, compared to just over 11 milligrams in blueberries.

Benefits: Getting enough vitamin C in your diet helps your body reduce stress and cellular damage, potentially reducing the risk of certain health problems, like heart disease and certain cancers.

3. Vitamin K

Which berry contains the most: Blackberries

Blackberries narrowly outperform blueberries. Blackberries contain 14.25 micrograms of vitamin K in a half-cup compared to 14 micrograms in a half-cup of blueberries.

Benefits: Vitamin K plays an important role in producing proteins that keep your blood healthy, but it also has antioxidant properties, protecting against age-related oxidative stress (which can lead to heart disease, neurological disorders, and osteoporosis).

4. Ellagic acid

Which berry contains the most: Blackberries

Although both berries contain ellagic acid, a plant compound found in many types of berries, blackberries generally contain more than blueberries.

Benefits: The acid is best known for its anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties, with some research suggesting it may be able to stop the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells (although more evidence is needed).

The final verdict

While blackberries often contain higher amounts of individual antioxidants, blueberries have higher anthocyanin content and better antioxidant capacity, so they might have more overall benefits for your health. Whether you should eat more blueberries or blackberries depends on your individual nutritional needs.

To understand why antioxidants are important, it helps to first know about free radicals and oxidative stress. Free radicals are molecules that lack an electron, which makes them unstable. The more free radicals in your body, the higher your oxidative stress, a response that damages your cells. Oxidative stress contributes to a higher risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Antioxidants limit cell damage and protect healthy cells, reducing the overall risk of inflammation and disease. Humans get most of their antioxidants from their diet, especially plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Some compounds, like lycopene and beta-carotene, are solely antioxidants. Many other dietary vitamins and minerals have antioxidant properties, including selenium; zinc; and vitamins C, A and K.

If you love blueberries and blackberries and want to incorporate more of them into your diet, start getting creative: the berries can be added to almost any meal:

• Incorporate fresh or frozen berries into your oatmeal, cereal or yogurt.
• Incorporate fresh or frozen berries into baked goods like pancakes, muffins and quick breads.
• Sprinkle fresh berries over spinach salad.
• Top the peanut butter toast with several fresh berries.
• Blend fresh or frozen berries into your favorite smoothie.
• Make a fresh berry salsa to serve with lean proteins, like chicken or pork.
• Mix them and freeze them in ice cream or ice cube molds.