Blackberries are a superfood with beneficial vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re low in calories, carbs, and fat. Blackberries may even fight cancer and help prevent heart disease.

Sweet yet tart blackberries are a summer staple. But the benefits of these berry beauties go well beyond their yummy taste. Blackberries offer many health benefits. They’re full of vitamins and minerals like C, K, and manganese, high in fiber, and may boost brain health.

Just one cup of raw blackberries has 30.2 mg of vitamin C. That’s one third of the recommended Daily Value (DV). Vitamin C is integral to collagen formation in bones, connective tissue, and blood vessels. Vitamin C may also help you:

  • heal wounds
  • regenerate the skin
  • reduce free radicals (molecules released by toxins) in the body
  • absorb iron
  • help the immune system function properly
  • prevent scurvy

More research is needed, but some studies suggest vitamin C helps reduce the formation of cancer-causing substances in the body. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, which may also reduce oxidative stress in the body that can lead to cancer.

Most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet. That’s a problem: A low fiber diet has been linked to digestive issues like bloating, constipation, and stomach pain. And according to a 2022 meta-analysis, not getting enough fiber may increase your risk for heart disease.

A high fiber diet may help you:

  • reduce cholesterol
  • promote regular bowel movements
  • manage blood sugar levels by slowing the rate of sugar absorption
  • make you feel fuller for longer after eating
  • provide fuel to nourish healthy gut bacteria

For such a tiny berry, blackberries are high in fiber. One cup of raw blackberries has almost 8 grams.

Vitamin K is the reason you don’t bleed profusely when you cut yourself: It helps your blood clot. Vitamin K also plays a role in bone metabolism. Vitamin K deficiency may lead to bone thinning and bone fractures. It may cause easy bruising, heavy menstrual bleeding, and blood in the stool or in the urine.

Just one cup of raw blackberries provides 28.5 micrograms of vitamin K, nearly one quarter of the DV for adults and children 4 years and older.

If you take blood thinners, make sure to eat a consistent or reduced amount of foods high in vitamin K, such as blackberries, green leafy vegetables, soybeans, and fermented dairy foods. Speak to your doctor regarding the amount you can eat.

You don’t hear as much about manganese as other minerals, but it’s vital to healthy bone development and a healthy immune system. It also helps your body metabolize carbs, amino acids, and cholesterol.

Like vitamin C, manganese plays a key role in collagen formation. The enzyme that helps manganese form collagen, prolidase, also helps wounds heal properly. Manganese deficiency is very rare in humans.

Manganese may help prevent osteoporosis, manage blood sugar levels, and reduce epileptic seizures.

One cup of raw blackberries contains 0.9 mg of manganese, or 39% of the DV. Keep in mind, though, that too much manganese may be toxic.

You’re unlikely to get too much manganese in food amounts, though, unless you have a condition that prevents your body from eliminating excess manganese, like chronic liver disease or anemia.

Eating berry fruits like blackberries may improve brain health and help prevent memory loss caused by aging, according to a review of research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The review concluded that antioxidants in berry fruits help fight free radicals and alter how brain neurons communicate. This may help reduce brain inflammation, which can lead to cognitive and motor issues common with aging.

According to a 2013 study, you may want to add blackberries to your daily dental regimen. The study found that blackberry extract has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties against some types of bacteria that cause oral disease.

Researchers caution that more study is needed, but suggest blackberry extract may help prevent and control gum disease and cavities.

Blackberries are a great option for satisfying your sweet tooth if you want to lose weight or are on a low-carb diet. One cup of raw blackberries has only 62 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 14 carbs, making them easy to add to a balanced eating plan.

Blackberries also have a low glycemic index (GI), coming in at 25. GI ranks how carb-containing foods may impact your blood glucose response. A rating of 55 or lower is considered less likely to spike blood sugar levels.

Glycemic load (GL) takes into account the GI and the grams of carbohydrates in a typical serving. GL is considered to be a more accurate assessment of how a food can impact blood sugar. Blackberries’ GL is only 4, which is very low.

There’s an argument to be made for calling blackberries a superfood. They’re high in beneficial vitamins and minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re low in calories, carbs, and fat. Blackberries are also versatile and easy to add to your diet.

While more studies are needed to determine whether blackberries definitively fight cancer and help prevent heart disease, the research so far is exciting. We do know there’s substantial evidence to support a plant-heavy diet for cancer prevention as well as many other benefits.

Enjoy blackberries and their benefits in a smoothie or atop a green salad. Or try this quick, easy, and protein-rich blackberry parfait recipe.