Blackberry vs. Blueberry — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Although we see these two berries are very similar to each other from the point of nutrition, vitamins, and antioxidants, blackberries contain more vitamin C and fewer carbohydrates and sugars. At the same time, blueberries are better in vitamins B1, B5, and B6.
Table of contents
Introduction
All berries are known as an essential source of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, dietary fiber, and micronutrients, which are responsible for various health benefits and preventing life-threatening diseases, such as various kinds of inflammation, cancer, diabetes, and chronic diseases.
Though many scientific studies advise including berries in your everyday meals, it’s helpful to sort out which berries are even better. Let’s compare 2 of the widely consumed berries: blackberry and blueberry.
Note that the comparison is made only for raw products and not processed ones.
Actual differences
Blackberry is an edible fruit produced by plants of the genus Rubus from the Rosaceae family. Blueberry belongs to a different family and genus - genus Vaccinium from the family Ericaceae. This is why they notably differ in appearance: blueberry is a round, true berry, while blackberry is not a berry at all. It is classified as an aggregate fruit. Blackberries' color range lies between deep purple and black when ripe. They are often called black raspberries due to their appearance, similar to raspberries. Check out the Blackberry vs. Raspberry comparison article for more information. What about blueberries? Blueberries are visibly deep blue or deep purple. Their color is brighter than blackberries' color.
Taste, Smell, and Use
Unripe blackberries can be bitter or sour, but when they are ripe, they have a tart and sweet flavor. In contrast, most blueberries have a sweet taste with a little note of acidity. Blueberries have a sweet, herbaceous smell with oily and melon nuances. Blackberry has a musky-fruity odor.
Blackberries are famous ingredients for jams, jellies, yogurt, smoothies, and other recipes. In contrast, blueberries are very often used as a topping for pancakes, muffins, or waffles. Blueberries are widely consumed along with oatmeal as a healthy breakfast.
Best season to buy
You can buy blackberries from May to September but will find the best ones, especially in June and July. If you want to taste the best and freshest blueberries, you’d better do that during the season from May to August.
Nutrition
When talking about the useful properties of any food, people are most interested in the nutrients they contain. As for blackberries and blueberries, they are pretty similar to each other except for some nutrients. In this section, we will compare the nutrient contents of 100g servings of blackberry and blueberry.
Macronutrients
The infographic below shows that blue and blackberries contain more than 80% water. Generally, they differ in carb content: blueberry has more carbs than blackberry. Let's examine this deeper in the corresponding paragraphs.
Macronutrient Comparison
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ProteinProtein
+87.8%
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FatsFats
+48.5%
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OtherOther
+56.5%
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CarbsCarbs
+50.8%
Carbs
Blackberry is lower in carbs compared to blueberry. Blueberry contains 14.5g of overall carbs, while blackberry provides only 9.6g.
Blackberry is richer in maltose and galactose — disaccharides that are not present in blueberry. In contrast, blueberry provides twice as much glucose and fructose.
Fiber
Blackberry is 2 times richer in fiber than blueberry. Blackberries are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, while blueberries' fiber content is mostly insoluble.
Carbohydrate type comparison
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MaltoseMaltose
+∞%
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GalactoseGalactose
+∞%
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StarchStarch
+∞%
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SucroseSucrose
+57.1%
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GlucoseGlucose
+111.3%
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FructoseFructose
+107.1%
Proteins
The amount of protein in both is very low, given that each has around 1g of protein. However, blackberries have a bit more protein.
Fats
The fat content of blackberry and blueberry is not significant. It is important to mention that neither of them contain any amounts of cholesterol.
Glycemic index
Blackberry and blueberry have low glycemic indices. Blackberry has a glycemic index 25, whereas blueberry has a GI of 53. Hence, blueberry's GI is two times higher, meaning blueberry consumption leads to relatively faster spikes in blood sugar levels.
Calories
Blackberry and blueberry are low in calories. Blackberry is 14 units lower in calories compared to blueberry.
Vitamins
Blueberry is richer in vitamins B1, B2, and B6. Blackberry is richer in vitamins A, E, and C.
Blackberry covers 70% of the DV of vitamin C, and blueberry satisfies 12% of the daily need for vitamin B6.
Vitamin Comparison
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Vitamin CVitamin C
+116.5%
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Vitamin AVitamin A
+296.3%
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Vitamin EVitamin E
+105.3%
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Vitamin B3Vitamin B3
+54.5%
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Vitamin B5Vitamin B5
+122.6%
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FolateFolate
+316.7%
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CholineCholine
+41.7%
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Vitamin B1Vitamin B1
+85%
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Vitamin B2Vitamin B2
+57.7%
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Vitamin B6Vitamin B6
+73.3%
Minerals
Blackberries are the absolute winner in this section. They are higher in all the minerals than blueberries. Blackberries are especially richer in copper, covering 56% of the DV of it.
Mineral Comparison
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MagnesiumMagnesium
+233.3%
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CalciumCalcium
+383.3%
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PotassiumPotassium
+110.4%
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IronIron
+121.4%
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CopperCopper
+189.5%
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ZincZinc
+231.3%
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PhosphorusPhosphorus
+83.3%
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ManganeseManganese
+92.3%
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SeleniumSelenium
+300%
Health impact
Anthocyanins
Another important component of berries, due to which berries are considered superfoods, is a specific type of flavonoid called anthocyanins.
A scientific report in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences states that both blackberries and blueberries contain, on average, 10 times more anthocyanins than other foods.
By eating them, you can improve control over your body fat and blood sugar and have good gut and digestion (1).
Antioxidants
Blackberries and blueberries are also loaded with antioxidant compounds, such as ellagic acid, tannins, ellagitannins, quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, and cyanidins, which make them an excellent help to fight free radicals and to avoid such disorders as cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases (2).
However, blueberries are the winners due to their antioxidant content.
According to a 2004 study, a cup of cultivated blueberries contains 9,019 antioxidants (3).
Cardiovascular health
Consuming blackberries may positively impact the lipid profile, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers of individuals with metabolic syndrome. As for blueberries, studies show that their consumption may reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the blood. These effects of berries are important for reducing cardiovascular risk (4.5.6.7).
In addition, recent research has shown that daily consumption of freeze-dried blueberry powder for 12 weeks can significantly improve endothelial function and reduce oxidative stress in postmenopausal women with high blood pressure. These findings suggest that blueberry powder could be a beneficial addition to the diet of women looking to improve their cardiovascular health and reduce their risk of developing related diseases (8).
It should be noted that natural polyphenols obtained through daily berry consumption are safer and more practical for preventing and treating chronic diseases than traditional medications (9).
Brain Health
Blackberries have shown beneficial effects on brain health, instead. Blackberry consumption may improve the signaling in the aging human brain (10). Besides, blackberry polyphenols have neuroprotective effects (11).
References
- https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/11/2/224/5536953
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3274736/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15186133/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26622259/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935321/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20660279/
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf2036033
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36847333/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299921003216
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf2036033
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-017-1576-y
Infographic
Fat Type Comparison
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat | -50% |
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat | +91.8% |
Comparison summary table
Lower in Sugar | |||
Lower in Saturated Fat | |||
Lower in Glycemic Index | |||
Rich in minerals | |||
Rich in vitamins | |||
Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
Lower in Sodium | Equal | ||
Lower in price | Equal |
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
Nutrient | Opinion | ||
Calories | 43kcal | 57kcal | |
Protein | 1.39g | 0.74g | |
Fats | 0.49g | 0.33g | |
Vitamin C | 21mg | 9.7mg | |
Net carbs | 4.31g | 12.09g | |
Carbs | 9.61g | 14.49g | |
Magnesium | 20mg | 6mg | |
Calcium | 29mg | 6mg | |
Potassium | 162mg | 77mg | |
Iron | 0.62mg | 0.28mg | |
Sugar | 4.88g | 9.96g | |
Fiber | 5.3g | 2.4g | |
Copper | 0.165mg | 0.057mg | |
Zinc | 0.53mg | 0.16mg | |
Starch | 0g | 0.03g | |
Phosphorus | 22mg | 12mg | |
Sodium | 1mg | 1mg | |
Vitamin A | 214IU | 54IU | |
Vitamin A | 11µg | 3µg | |
Vitamin E | 1.17mg | 0.57mg | |
Manganese | 0.646mg | 0.336mg | |
Selenium | 0.4µg | 0.1µg | |
Vitamin B1 | 0.02mg | 0.037mg | |
Vitamin B2 | 0.026mg | 0.041mg | |
Vitamin B3 | 0.646mg | 0.418mg | |
Vitamin B5 | 0.276mg | 0.124mg | |
Vitamin B6 | 0.03mg | 0.052mg | |
Vitamin K | 19.8µg | 19.3µg | |
Folate | 25µg | 6µg | |
Choline | 8.5mg | 6mg | |
Saturated Fat | 0.014g | 0.028g | |
Monounsaturated Fat | 0.047g | 0.047g | |
Polyunsaturated fat | 0.28g | 0.146g | |
Tryptophan | 0.003mg | ||
Threonine | 0.02mg | ||
Isoleucine | 0.023mg | ||
Leucine | 0.044mg | ||
Lysine | 0.013mg | ||
Methionine | 0.012mg | ||
Phenylalanine | 0.026mg | ||
Valine | 0.031mg | ||
Histidine | 0.011mg | ||
Fructose | 2.4g | 4.97g |
Which food is preferable for your diet?
Low Calories diet | ||
Low Fats diet | ||
Low Carbs diet | ||
Low Glycemic Index diet |
People also compare
Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Blackberry - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173946/nutrients
- Blueberry - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171711/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.