When we say Mulberry, what comes to your mind first? The color or the fruit? As a color, it looks cool while as a fruit it tastes even cooler. A traditional summer fruit in India, it has inspired many recipes as well as runway styles.

White, red, black, and everything in between — Mulberry is popular across the globe both as a color and a fruit. It has also found a mention in many children’s stories and nursery rhymes. We all have jumped to the tunes of “Here we go round the Mulberry bush” as kids.

With the right amount of sweetness, it earns the spot of the perfect summer snack in the gamut of conventional summer fruits such as watermelon, mangoes, and muskmelon. It is slowly gaining popularity as a ‘functional fruit’.

It just looks tiny but when it comes to mulberry health benefits, expect a powerful punch. It aids digestion, lowers cholesterol, supports the immune system, improves vision and blood circulation, and helps to control blood sugar levels. Some research studies also claim that mulberry fruit benefits also include cutting cancer risk.

If you pick your fruit by its nutritional profile, Mulberry is one fruit you don’t want to miss. It contains around 43 calories per 100 grams and its nutritional profile boasts of a wide array of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, lipids, protein, dietary fiber, and high water content.

Mulberries benefits come from the fact that it is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, iron and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, and zinc. These also contain Riboflavin, a vitamin that helps the body break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to produce energy.

While red and black mulberries are more popular and common ones, the white mulberry is commonly used in alternative medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. It is often touted as a natural remedy for a wide range of disorders such as constipation, cold, cough, anxiety, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc.

The White Mulberry is known to be rich in anthocyanins, a plant-based compound known to exert antioxidant effects. In Chinese medicine, Mulberry juice is also used to treat poor blood circulation and anemia. That’s about White Mulberry. However, red and black are equally delectable and nutritious. Let’s look at some Mulberry fruit benefits.

MULBERRY HEALTH BENEFITS

Protects against lead toxicity

Mulberries are packed with antioxidants that act as a main line of defense against free radicals and lead. Lead (Pb) is one of the environmental pollutants that have been red-flagged by scientists.

A serious concern in the recent past regarding natural sources for protection or curing from lead has been gaining momentum. Mulberry leaves and fruits have considerable active compounds and antioxidant properties, which are useful as anticancer agents. Moreover, they showed a protective effect against lead toxicity, which induced anemia, metabolic disorder, and tissue injury.

It protects the liver

Some researches have shown that certain compound found in mulberries could have a beneficial effect on liver health. It is particularly effective in preventing fatty liver disease. Mulberry fruit benefits expand to helping lower triglyceride, cholesterol, and density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL).

It improves vision

Mulberry fruit benefits also include improving vision and protecting eyes from free radicals that can cause retinal degeneration and loss of eyesight. The zeaxanthin compound in mulberries, which is a carotenoid that helps to reduce oxidative stress in cells that form our eyes. It is also believed to protect the retina from harmful ultraviolet rays and free radicals that could cause cataracts and macular degeneration.

It got anti-aging benefits

Due to the presence of antioxidants and resveratrol, which protects the skin from harmful sunrays and helps the skin look young and healthy. It provides all the essential nutrients for skin such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Intake of mulberries keeps the skin looking smooth, and minimizes the appearance of age spots.

It boosts Immunity

Mulberries are a good source of Vitamin C as well as rich in other nutrients that all together defend the body from foreign invaders. It is also full of anti-oxidants.

Mulberry leaf benefits

1. It is commonly used as a skin depigmentation agent in cosmetic products.

2. Research suggests that Mulberry leaves offer several compounds that may help combat diabetes, such as deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which prevents the absorption of carbs in the gut. As described above, the mulberry leaves reduce high levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar.

3. Mulberry leaf also contains numerous compounds including antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress — both of which are linked to chronic disease.

4. Mulberry leaf may also improve heart health by reducing cholesterol and blood pressure levels, preventing a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to heart disease.

5. A recent study has investigated the promising therapeutic benefits of Mulberry leaves in modulating cardiometabolic risks, which consists of glucose intolerance and/or insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

Mulberry leaf precautions:

Although Mulberry leaf has largely been shown to be safe in both human and animal studies, it may lead to side effects in some people. For instance, some people have reported side effects such as nausea, dizziness, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea, when taking supplements.

Moreover, patients on diabetic medication should consult a doctor or nutritionist before trying mulberry lead because of its effects on blood sugar. Children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers should strictly avoid it due to a lack of sufficient research.

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Here’s how you can relish Mulberries:

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Mulberry Hemp Energy Balls

Ingredients:

1/4 cup steel cuts oats (roasted)

1/2 cup mulberries

2 tbsp hemp seeds (powdered)

2 tbsp Almonds (roasted and chopped)

2 tbsp Cashews (roasted and chopped)

3 tbsp Peanut butter

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

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Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl

2. Make small balls

3. Freeze in the refrigerator for half an hour.

4. Serve when it is settled.

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Mulberry Ginger Chia Fresca

Ingredients:

1 cup mulberries

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp ginger

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp chia seeds (soaked)

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Method

1. Churn mulberries, ginger, lemon juice, and water in a fruit juicer.

2. Add soaked chia seeds.

3. Serve immediately.

POWER PAIR

1. Mulberry + 1 tbsp roasted seeds (sunflower + pumpkin + 1tsp of sesame seeds)

A good combination of fruit plus fats for boosting energy or a good option when you are craving snacks or looking for a cure for constipation.

2. Mulberry + Yogurt + 1tsp Sabja Seeds (soaked)

A stress buster smoothie to kickstart your day or that reenergising post-workout drink.

What are the side effects of Mulberry?

Eating mulberries in moderation is considered beneficial for health. However, eating too many mulberries can lead to dropping in blood sugar to a dangerously low level. So people on diabetic medication should eat mulberry with caution. Higher doses of mulberry can also cause mild diarrhoea, dizziness, constipation, and bloating.

It is also believed that mulberry extract contains carcinogenic side effects. Studies have found that these hinder the absorption of carbohydrates and triacylglycerol and may increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Due to lack of research, side effects of mulberry in children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers have not been properly established.

Is Mulberry good for weight loss?

A research study done by Chinese scholars suggests that mulberries could hold a key to new treatment for obesity, after discovering a natural compound in the fruit that activates brown fat, boosting metabolism and facilitating weight loss.

The research claims that a natural compound in mulberries called rutin could help treat obesity. Rutin was found to activate the brown adipose tissue, which led to increased energy expenditure. This helps balance insulin and glucagon to maintain glucose levels and promote fat reduction.

Is Mulberry good for kidneys?

Mulberry juice is a time-tested tonic for protecting kidneys. As we know, one of the major functions of the kidneys is to filter blood and remove waste from the body. Excessive use of medication can strain the kidneys, resulting in a buildup of toxins; about 5 percent of the filtered drugs are reabsorbed actively and can reach high concentrations in kidney cells, which hamper kidney function. Polyphenols found in mulberries can help in protecting kidneys against toxicity.

Is Mulberry fruit good for diabetes?

As discussed in my book 50 Desi Super Drinks, the powdered leaves of white mulberry are believed to lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients. It is suggested that taking the powdered leaf three times a day for 4 weeks might help decrease fasting blood sugar levels.

What are Mulberry benefits for the skin?

Loaded with vitamin A and E, Mulberry can prevent premature aging. It also boasts of a range of carotenoid components like lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and alpha-carotene that aid in skincare, reducing the appearance of blemishes and age spots. Using it in your hair masks can also help make your locks thick and lustrous.

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FAQs:

What are the nutritional benefits of mulberry?

Mulberries are a powerhouse of nutrition. They contain around 43 calories per 100 grams and their nutritional profile boasts of a wide array of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, lipids, protein, dietary fibre, and high water content. They also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, iron and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, and zinc. These also contain Riboflavin, a vitamin that helps the body break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to produce energy.

What are the different kinds of mulberries?

Red and black mulberries are more popular and common. The white mulberry is commonly used in alternative medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. It is often touted as a natural remedy for a wide range of disorders such as constipation, cold, cough, anxiety, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc.

What are some of the health benefits of mulberry? 

Mulberries protect against lead toxicity (since they are packed with antioxidants), protects the liver, improves vision, has anti-ageing benefits, and boosts immunity (because it is a good source of Vitamin C). 

Are mulberries leaves also good for health?

Mulberry leaves are used as a skin depigmentation ingredient in cosmetic products. Research also suggests that some of the compounds in mulberry leaves may help combat diabetes. The leaves may also improve heart health by reducing cholesterol and blood pressure levels. 

Are there any side effects of the mulberry leaf?

Although Mulberry leaf has largely been shown to be safe in both human and animal studies, it may lead to side effects in some people. Some people have reported side effects such as nausea, dizziness, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea, when taking supplements. Patients on diabetic medication should consult a doctor or nutritionist before trying mulberry lead because of its effects on blood sugar. Children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers should strictly avoid it due to a lack of sufficient research.

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