What are Golden Berries?
Though not a true berry, this nightshade is more closely related to the tomatillo than to the blueberry. Despite sometimes being referred to as Cape Gooseberry, it is not botanically related to the gooseberry at all.
Sweet, tangy, tart and delicious – the Golden Berry, AKA Physalis peruviana or Inca Berry, packs a whole lot of benefits in just a small handful. Used traditionally for thousands of years for lung, urinary, and digestive health in Peru, these sweet and sour berries are rapidly gaining popularity around the world – and for good reason!
Let’s talk about why…

1. Some SERIOUS Antioxidant Content…
Golden berries are like a mega dose of antioxidants. These tiny berries are full of free-radical fighting polyphenols and carotenoids that help prevent cell damage and degeneration. And don’t forget, antioxidants are associated with a killer immune system, too.

2. Vitamin Powerhouse
With more Vitamin A than 4x that of tomatoes, these tiny little berries pack more than just a tangy punch! In fact, eat just 4 small handfuls a day, and you’ve already gotten 100% of your recommended DV of Vitamin A for the day. Not to mention a considerable amount of Vitamin C as well.

3. A Berry With Protein?!
Consisting of 16% protein, just a one-ounce handful will get you 2 grams of bioavailable protein!

4. Full of Fiber
An 8-ounce bag of our Organic Golden Berries has a whopping 88 grams of fiber in it – that’s enough fiber for almost 3 days. Watch out black beans!

5. Beautiful Skin
It’s no secret that vitamin A and C have long been used for beautiful, glowing skin.

6. Lung Health
There is still more research to be done, but a recent study suggests that golden berry could be a preventative food for assisting in lung health. A peer-reviewed study showed that a particular compound in golden berries had a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of lung carcinoma cells.

7. Anti-inflammatory
As fold medicine, the said anti-inflammatory properties of golden berries were what made it so traditionally well-known. Now, with scientific research, we have found that these Peruvian folk healers might have been onto something. A compound called “Withanolide” found in members of the nightshade family, like golden berry, has been and continues to be well-researched for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

8. Selectively Killing Oral Cancer Cells?!
A recent study states that golden berry “confers an anti-hepatoma effect through apoptosis.” A previous study conducted by the same people also found “apoptosis and anti-proliferative effects on human lung cancer cells.

Conclusion: Are They Worth It?
The sheer vitamin and nutrient content of golden berries is enough to make them worth trying, but add in the promotion of anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer qualities of this marble-sized bad boy, and you’ve got yourself a berry worth believing in!

Try a bag, and let us know what you think.
Pop them in your smoothie bowl.
Sprinkle them in your salad.
Add them to your homemade granola recipe.
There’s just too many way to love this sweet little berry. We know you won’t be disappointed.

Sources:
1. https://bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2407-10-46
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4669816/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433425/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruviana
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3660349/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5125362/