I cherish my childhood days when I could go around our home compound and pick a few golden berries and enjoy their tangy flavor. Sadly, I didn’t care a lot then as I didn’t know the health benefits of golden berries.
Golden berries, also known as Peruvian groundcherry, cape gooseberry, Incan berry, husk cherry, or Poha berry, come from Ecuadorian Andes and Peruvian in South America.
Golden berries fall in the same family as tomatillo and are wrapped in a husk that must be removed before eating.
Golden berries are rich in vitamin A, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, and several grams of fiber, among other vital nutrients. They have a sweet and tropical flavor. Golden berries’ flavor is likened to that of pineapples or mangoes. They’re smaller than cherry tomatoes.
Below, I will discuss golden berries’ health benefits, their side effects, and how to prepare them.
Let’s dive in.
Health Benefits Of Golden Berries
Resembling cherry tomatoes, cape gooseberries are the same size as marbles but with a tangy flavor similar to pineapples and mangoes. The health benefits of golden berries are impressive.
They are:
- Helps in weight loss
- Aids in the management of diabetes
- Strengthens the immune system
- Reduces inflammation
- High in the powerful antioxidant
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Boosts bone health
Weight Loss
Every 100 grams of golden berries contains about 53 calories; hence, they’re a low-calorie food. Hence, if you’re looking for the best, low-fat, and calorie food, consider buying these berries.
However, to lose weight, eat Inca berries as your doctor recommends.
Diabetes Management
Diabetes occurs when there’s an extreme fluctuation in blood sugar levels. Some compounds found in golden berries may slow the intake and breakdown of carbohydrates and sugars. This prevents sugar from clotting in the bloodstream. Hence, there’s proper regulation of insulin receptors.
So, golden berries may reduce diabetes levels or be used to manage it.
High Antioxidant Content
Golden berries are rich in antioxidant properties that highly neutralize free radicals. What’s more? The antioxidant content in golden berries’ skin is three times that of their pulp. Moreover, antioxidants are at high levels once the golden berries ripen.
Based on the report published in the Journal of Food Science Technology, Dr. Gökçen Yıldız, Nazmi İzli et al, says golden berries can be eaten as an ideal nutritional supplement for any kind of ailment. Hence, husk cherries are good for you because they are superfoods.
Antioxidants are also essential in your body because they repair and protect your cells against free radical damage. Essentially, golden berries are said to have about 34 unique compounds, which are all essential to your body. Take, for example, the Phenolic compounds; they’re said to block the growth of colon and breast cancer cells.
Strengthens the Immune System
You may get some health benefits of cara cara oranges from golden berries because they’re a good source of vitamin C. About 10 grams of golden berries contain about 15.4 mg of vitamin C.
Besides, human cell test tube studies reveal that golden berries are rich in multiple polyphenols that effectively block the release of some inflammatory immune properties. Hence, they may boost the immune system.
Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Though further research on humans is needful, test tube tests on mice prove that golden berries may lower the anti-inflammatory effects.
Due to the withanolide compounds found in them, Poha Berry may potentially prevent colon cancer. It was also reported that there was a release of certain inflammatory immune markers
after mice had eaten the golden berries husk.
Lowers Cholesterol Levels
Inca berries are rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Low cholesterol levels boost heart health.
Moreover, these tiny fruits also lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) due to their phytosterol content. Hence, golden berries are also good for keeping heart disease away.
Boosts Bone Health
Vitamin K, coupled with Vitamin D, may boost bone health. Vitamin K is highly involved in bone metabolism. This fat-soluble vitamin is also highly involved in healthy bone turnover rates.
This helps in reforming and breaking down bones. Besides, vitamin K is an essential cartilage and bone component.
Are Golden Berries Good For Your Eyes?
Yes, golden berries are good for your eyes because they’re rich in beta-carotene and lutein. These carotenoids lower the occurrence of macular degeneration, which is the number one cause of blindness in the world.
Besides, carotenoid lutein may be effective in preventing eye diseases. Diabetes patients may also benefit from golden berries because aside from the lutein, they also contain lycopene, zeaxanthin, and other carotenoids, which lower the chances of eye loss.
In addition, golden berries may be great for eliminating oxidative stress in your ocular system. Consequently, even as you age, your vision health will be excellent, as carotenoids also make macular degeneration slow down.
Therefore, eat golden berries every day if your doctor approves it.
How to Eat Golden Berries
You can eat golden berries fresh or dried. All you need to do is remove the husk of golden berries and clean them before eating to ensure no chemical substance residues remain.
Organic golden berries are the best to eat as they’re free from chemicals, and you can get them from grocery stores or directly from farmers. Alternatively, order your golden berries from online stores.
Here are amazing ways to include golden berries in your diet.
- Make a golden berries jam
- Blend into a sweet smoothie
- Make a sauce that you can enjoy with fish or delicious goat meat
- Generously sprinkle them on your savory salads
- Use them as granola or yogurt toppings
- They’re a great addition to your fruit salad
- Eat them as a raw, healthy snack, as they have a great tart flavor, which gives them a sweet taste!
What Are The Nutritional Benefits Of Eating Golden Berries?
The most important benefits of golden berries are found in their nutritional content; for example, they’re rich in beta-carotene, calcium, and vitamin K.
Hence, they may be ideal for preventing chronic diseases like heart health problems.
The following nutrients are found in only 140 grams (1 cup) of golden berries.
- Protein: 2.7 grams
- Vitamin A: 6% of the RDI for men and 7% for women
- Iron: 18% of the RDI for men and 8% for women
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Vitamin C: 17% of the RDI for men and 21% for women
- Phosphorus: 8% of the RDI
- Riboflavin: 5% of the RDI
- Calories: 74
- Thiamine: 13% of the RDI for men and 14% for women
- Fat: 1 gram
- Niacin: 25% of the RDI for men and 28% for women
- Carbs: 15.7 grams
What Are The Side Effects Of Golden Berries?
Ripe golden berries, eaten in good quantity after removing the papery husk, shouldn’t have any adverse effects unless you have health problems. Hence, you should ask your physician if golden berries are safe before eating them.
However, the green, unripe golden berries are rich in solanine, also found in green tomatoes and some potatoes. Hence, they’re believed to fall into the nightshade family.
Solanine may also be found in tobacco, eggplant, and capsicum and is deadly because it’s a glycoalkaloid poison. Hence, solanine may cause diarrhea, cramping, and other digestive problems.
Therefore, only eat ripe golden berries. Like with every other food, eating too many golden berries is unsafe. An animal study on rats confirmed that the male ones had heart damage after eating high doses of frozen-dried golden berry juice.
No human clinical trial has confirmed that high consumption of these sweet berries causes heart damage. Golden berries may be a very important fruit if eaten in low amounts.
FAQ
Are Golden Berries High In Sugar?
Golden berries contain sugar but not in high amounts like blood oranges, blueberries, or cranberries. So, a ⅓ cup of golden berries could offer about 1 gram of sugar.
Parting Line
Golden berries’ health benefits are undeniably essential to men and women. The vitamins, fiber, proteins, iron, phosphorus, riboflavin, calories, thiamine, niacin, and carbs provide numerous health benefits to your body.
Some of the major health benefits of golden berries include boosting bone and immune system health, lowering cholesterol levels, and potentially aiding in managing diabetes. Besides, golden berry fruit is good for eating daily as it contains anti-inflammatory properties and may also be ideal for your weight loss goals!
Therefore, if your doctor confirms that you’re fit to eat golden berries, eat a few daily to improve your overall health.
