Health Benefits of Marionberries

Like very similar blackberry, marionberry tastes great and is packed with healthy nutrients.

Published: November 6, 2019.

Consumption of marionberries ensures that one gets high levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important for one’s body processes. Some of them include:

Antioxidants

Marionberries contain significant amounts of vitamin C, gallic acid and rutin. Antioxidants are extremely important for human body to protect it from free radicals that cause gradual deterioration of the body. Vitamin C is important for regulation of immune system, scouring the body of free radicals and preventing inflammation.

Ellagic Acid

Being a polyphenol, ellagic acid provides antioxidant, anti-mutagenic and chemo-preventive properties. It has also been found to help in stopping inflammatory conditions that originate from obesity. Marionberries consist of around 5.83 mg of ellagic acid per gram.

Dietary Fiber

Marionberries are loaded with fiber, an ingredient essential for proper digestion, bowel movement, regulation of weight and prevention of heart disease and diabetes. A half cup or marionberries contains the same amount of fiber as that in a ¾ cup of brown rice.

Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are flavonoids occurring in fruits and certain vegetables and have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and neuroprotective properties. By consuming foods high in anthocyanins, one can help his body to fight with the countless toxins he is exposed to in daily life.
Some prominent health benefits of marionberries include:

May Affect Genes Associated to Weight Loss

Anthocyanins in marionberries are being studied for their weight loss properties. Japanese scientists used cultured human fat cells in the lab and exposed them to same type of anthocyanins from purple corn, cyanidin and cyanidin 3-glucoside (C3G), isolated from purple corn. Upon this, anti-aging and anti-obesity effects were observed in cells.

There was also increased release of adiponectin, a hormone that helps reduce hunger. Also the AMPK activity was increased by 50 percent. Higher AMPK activity (which is seen in young and healthy persons) is associated to healthier metabolic profile and weight, whereas lower AMPK activity is linked with sedentary lifestyle and type 2 diabetes.

High Fiber Content

1 cup of fresh marionberries contains 7.6g of fiber which is 30 percent of recommended daily value. Fiber can make one feel full for longer, unlike the low-fiber, carb-rich snacks that cause endless eating.

Low Calorie Food

Apart from the gene expression, marionberries can also be proved to be an ideal food for dieting. A cup of sweet, fresh, juicy marionberries contain just 75 calories.

May Contain Anti-cancer Properties

Actually, there is no sufficient evidence that any berry can prevent, treat or cure cancer. So far, only preliminary research has been done that infers that certain compounds in berries might be useful for this; but a lot more research is required.

As per the USDA report, when animal models with skin and lung cancer were treated with cyanidin 3-glucose (C3G) isolated from fresh blackberries, a significant reduction in the size and number of skin tumors among mice was observed as compared to those who were not given the supplement.

May Improve Brain Performance

In the era when nootropics are getting popularity as brain supplements, some nootropics are not created in labs but are naturally available like marionberries. Marionberries have been found to improve memory and motor performance, and show neuroprotective effects by decreasing ROS levels in the brain and modulating glutathione levels. Such effects might help in stopping the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia according to scientists. Though the studies are conducted on rats which are not like humans, the results are promising.

Nutritional Profile of Marionberries

Each serving of 1 cup (141g) of marionberries contains:

- Calories: 75
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrate: 22g
- Protein: 2g
- Dietary fiber: 7.6g

Also, marionberries are packed with vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds that boost immune system and promote human health.

How are Marionberries Consumed?

Due to their sweet and sour taste, marionberries have been a common mainstay in desserts. Thus they are frequently used in pies, muffins, cakes and crisps. They are even incorporated in glazes, marinades and salad vinaigrettes, for adding their sweet irresistible punch to dishes.

How to Buy Marionberries?

There are a few tips to remember while buying marionberries so as to get the best of them:

- Marionberries should be darker in color, glossy and without any blemishes. If their skin is wrinkly, it’s a sign that they are about to spoil.

- The bottom of the container should be checked to see if there are any unseen damaged or moldy berries.

Of course, the best tasting marionberries are the marionberries grown in your own garden.