Many people that want to lose weight and get healthy find that adopting a healthy eating regime is difficult. Whether you have trouble with cravings, a lack of time or aren't a great cook, trying to make all the food you eat healthy can be tricky.

But now scientists have suggested that eating lingonberries could be beneficial to those looking to lose weight, even if their eating plan isn't entirely healthy. In fact, it has been suggested that they could be better at blocking weight gain than the numerous superberries that are available on the market.

The small, red, Scandinavian berry - which is often used in jams - has been found to almost completely stop people from putting on weight. Scientists looked at a number of different berry varieties and the effects that they can have on weight loss, which showed that lingonberries were the most effective at curbing weight gain.

It was found that this type of berry also results in lower levels of sugar in the blood, which can be beneficial for insulin levels, as well as lower levels of cholesterol. 

When compared to blackberries, crowberries, prunes, blackcurrants, bilberries, raspberries, and acai berries, lingonberries came out on top for having the most benefits in terms of stopping weight loss even when on a high fat diet. In fact, scientists from Lund University in Sweden found that the lingonberry results in similar blood sugar and cholesterol readings that come as a result of a low-fat diet. 

This is the first time that lingonberries have been included in research such as this, according to the researchers, suggesting that this little-known fruit could be highly beneficial to those that find dieting and healthy eating difficult to maintain.

Researchers found that bilberries and blackcurrants also offered good results, although the effects were not as pronounced as with lingonberries.

It is thought that lingonberries are able to stop weight gain due to their polyphenol content, the scientists said. Although work is still ongoing to fully understand the way in which the berries were able to produce such results.

If you want to try eating lingonberries yourself to see if they offer positive results, it is best to avoid consuming large amounts of lingonberry jam. Not only are the fruit boiled and so lose a lot of their benefits, jam also tends to contain high sugar levels. Instead, opt for frozen berries, which can be incorporated into smoothies and juices.