By MACROS | Published on February 9, 2017
They don’t get the same press as blueberries, but are a valuable diet addition that’ll punch above their weight in the health department.
1. Lung protection
If you’re a smoker, these could be a health necessity. Research in Pharmacology Online found the high antioxidant content of gooseberries helped protect rats’ lungs against the harmful effects of cigarette smoke. Even if you don’t smoke, exercising in a polluted city environment can harm your chest and a handful of these berries is the tastiest way to activate your internal air filter.
2. Health elixir
As well as being a dynamite source of vitamin C, their chromium is what keeps your ticker in metronomic health. Research at Georgetown University found it has the potential to reduce cholesterol and it is rich in antioxidants and fructose. The fructose shuttles energy into your exhausted muscles, which helps them recover faster. The berries taste great in post-workout shakes too.
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3. Blood sugar
Taking an extract made from this berry could help fight diabetes. Research in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity found that regularly supplementing with gooseberries helps keep your arteries more elastic and improves cardiovascular health in type-2 diabetes patients. They may be a little sour sometimes but are well worth pulling a face for.
4. Flame off
If you’re wearing some squat-ravaged legs, gooseberries may help you recover. Research in the British Journal of Nutrition found they can have an anti-inflammatory effect and improve blood flow. This means more healing blood will help wash away your muscle stiffness. Just go easy on the squat rack.
