The Surprising Best Berry for Weight Loss

There is a berry that is grown in arctic regions that may likely be the best berry for weight loss…better than the largely popular acai berry – lingonberries.

General Info About Lingonberries

These delicate arctic berries are native throughout parts of North America, Eurasia, and Japan. The lingonberry extends from Northwestern Greenland across the Canadian Arctic southward to New England. On the North American continent, it grows westward to the Great Lakes and British Columbia. And, is restricted to areas north of the glacial boundary.

Lingonberries have many common names (25 in all), but here are some of the main ones:

red bilberry

lowbush cranberry

northern mountain cranberry

mountain cranberry

cowberry

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, lingonberries are widely eaten by animals such as: barren ground caribou, black bear, moose, arctic hare, and snowshoe hare. In parts of Alaska, it is an important if not primary moose browse. And, in many areas, these berries are an important food source for birds migrating northward in the spring.

Lingonberries May Be More Powerful Than Acai Berries For Weight Loss

Many new scientific research studies have pointed toward lingonberries promoting weight loss – possibly being more useful than the popular acai berries! A study done at the Lund University in Sweden has resulted in lingonberries leading the way as the best berries when compared against raspberries, crowberries, blackberries, prunes, and acai berries. Scientists found that not only were lingonberries the best for weight loss in rats in high fat fed diets, but acai berries actually caused weight gain.

“Cutting Edge” Recent Research On Lingonberries

While much is to be learned about the entire benefits of lingonberries, there have been recent studies pointing towards lingonberries as a “super food”. Many health benefits have been discovered with weight loss just one of them. In addition to weight loss, lingonberries can help diabetes, decrease blood pressure and inflammation (just to name a few!).

How To Add Lingonberries To Your Diet

There are many ways to add lingonberries to your diet. See below for some suggestions from nutritionist Marsha McMulloch, MS, RD ~

“Here are some ideas for using lingonberries:
Add lingonberry powder to yogurt, smoothies, or protein shakes.
Sprinkle fresh or thawed lingonberries on leafy green salads.
Top pancakes or waffles with homemade lingonberry sauce sweetened with stevia.
Add lingonberries to scones, muffins, and other baked goods.
Stir lingonberry powder into oatmeal or cold cereal.
Combine fresh or thawed lingonberries with other berries to make a fruit salad.
Add lingonberry powder to hot or cold tea.
Additionally, you can use lingonberries in place of cranberries or blueberries in most recipes.”

In Conclusion:

While it is always wise to consult a qualified medical professional before altering one’s diet, lingonberries appear to be a great way for many to achieve their weight loss goals. And, while they only grow in arctic areas, the dried or frozen forms may be accessible to many purchased online or in specialty stores.

So, try some lingonberries…

What a delicious way to lose weight!

Resources:

Heyman, L.; Axling, U.; Blanco, N.; Sterner, O.; Holm,C. and Berger, K.; Evaluation of Beneficial Metabolic Effects of Berries in High-Fat Fed C57BL/6J Mice Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 403041

Ryyti R, Hämäläinen M, Peltola R, Moilanen E. Beneficial effects of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) supplementation on metabolic and inflammatory adverse effects induced by high-fat diet in a mouse model of obesity. PLoS One. 2020;15(5):e0232605. Published 2020 May 7. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232605

Tirmenstein, D. 1991. Vaccinium vitis-idaea. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacvit/all.html [2020, August 16].