Fresh blueberries are one of the most popular summer treats of all time. They are sweet, succulent, full of nutrients, and can be eaten freshly picked as well as incorporated into a variety of recipes.
Native to North America, blueberries are rich in proanthocyanidin, the natural antioxidant that’s proven to fight cancer, lose weight and give you glowing young skin.
Natural medicine has long held that these round purple berries give long-life health benefits that far exceed their tiny size.
*Blueberries contain a type of flavonoid known as anthocyanins, which are responsible for giving foods like blueberries, cranberries, red cabbage and eggplants their iconic deep red, purple and blue hues. Anthocyanins are responsible for more than just the blueberry's pretty blue color - they also contribute to the popular fruit's numerous health benefits.
Blueberries are fruit that belong to the Vaccinium family. They can be found in two well known types. First is the wild or the “low-bush” blueberry, which bears the scientific name Vaccinium angustifolium. The second variety, Vaccinium corymbosum, is commonly known as the cultivated or the “high-bush” blueberry. There is one other type, but that variety is quite uncommon and has the scientific name Vaccinium pallidum.
Health Benefits of Blueberries
Aging:
Aside from genetic factors, for which there is no apparent solution, and we consider the effect of free radicals on aging as the main cause of various symptoms, then blueberries bring you the brightest ray of hope for staying young. These “superfood” berries are packed with antioxidants and rank number 1 in the world of antioxidants. This is mainly due to presence of Anthocyanin, a pigment responsible for the blue color of the blue berries. The abundance of vitamin-C is also a big factor for this impressive claim as well. You can prevent signs of aging like wrinkles, age spots, cataracts, osteoporosis, hair loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease by eating blueberries and getting the most out of the antioxidant potential!
*After many years of research on blueberry antioxidants and their potential benefits for the nervous system and for brain health, there is exciting new evidence that blueberries can improve memory. In a study involving older adults (with an average age of 76 years), 12 weeks of daily blueberry consumption was enough to improve scores on two different tests of cognitive function including memory. While participants in the study consumed blueberries in the form of juice, three-quarters of a pound of blueberries were used to make each cup of juice. As participants consumed between 2 to 2-1/2 cups each day, the participants actually received a very plentiful amount of berries. The authors of this study were encouraged by the results and suggested that blueberries might turn out to be beneficial not only for improvement of memory, but for slowing down or postponing the onset of other cognitive problems frequently associated with aging.Fight Cancer
*Clinical studies have even discovered that, unlike radiation and chemotherapy strategies, gallic acid-rich foods like blueberries can kill cancer without harming healthy cells!
For instance, the Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology published a study evaluating the anticancer effects gallic acid has on breast cancer cells. Like countless studies before, researchers discovered that blueberries and gallic acid slow and even destroy breast cancer.
Blueberry benefits cancer primarily due to their wide range of antioxidants, with gallic acid the primary and resveratrol also offering support.
*After many years of research on blueberry antioxidants and their potential benefits for the nervous system and for brain health, there is exciting new evidence that blueberries can improve memory. In a study involving older adults (with an average age of 76 years), 12 weeks of daily blueberry consumption was enough to improve scores on two different tests of cognitive function including memory. While participants in the study consumed blueberries in the form of juice, three-quarters of a pound of blueberries were used to make each cup of juice. As participants consumed between 2 to 2-1/2 cups each day, the participants actually received a very plentiful amount of berries. The authors of this study were encouraged by the results and suggested that blueberries might turn out to be beneficial not only for improvement of memory, but for slowing down or postponing the onset of other cognitive problems frequently associated with aging.Fight Cancer
*Clinical studies have even discovered that, unlike radiation and chemotherapy strategies, gallic acid-rich foods like blueberries can kill cancer without harming healthy cells!
For instance, the Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology published a study evaluating the anticancer effects gallic acid has on breast cancer cells. Like countless studies before, researchers discovered that blueberries and gallic acid slow and even destroy breast cancer.
Blueberry benefits cancer primarily due to their wide range of antioxidants, with gallic acid the primary and resveratrol also offering support.
Support digestion
Being a natural source of soluble and insoluble fiber, blueberries can help regulate your gastrointestinal track by just eating a couple handfuls a day.
In fact, University of Maine researcher Vivian Chi-Hua Wu states that, “Addition of wild blueberries to diet can alter the balance of gut microbe in favor of members of the Actinobacteria phylum.” Wu and her team discovered that wild blueberries have prebiotic potential, which promotes growth of good bacteria (probiotics) in the colon and promotes digestive and health benefit.
Fight off disease
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center looked at more than 100 common foods and found that, among fruits, wild and cultivated blueberries had the highest total antioxidant capacity. (Small red beans topped the list.) Antioxidants fight disease-inducing free radicals in our body.
Urinary Tract Infection:
The formation of certain bacterial colonies like E-coli along the lining of the inner walls of urinary tract is responsible for this infection. It results in inflammation, a burning sensation during the passage of urine and other complications. For this condition, blueberries can be surprisingly beneficial. It has a compound formed of large, polymer-like molecules which inhibit the growth of such bacteria. It also has certain antibiotic properties which add to this effect. These heavy molecules scrub these bacteria off the walls along the tract, thereby preventing the infection. So far, this compound has only been found in cranberries and blueberries.
Maintaining healthy bones
The iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and vitamin K in blueberries all contribute to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.Iron and zinc play crucial roles in maintaining the strength and elasticity of bones and joints.2 Low intakes of vitamin K have been associated with a higher risk for bone fracture, while adequate vitamin K intakes improve calcium absorption and may reduce calcium loss
Managing diabetes
Studies have shown that type 1 diabetics who consume high-fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetics may have improved blood sugar, lipids and insulin levels. One cup of blueberries contributes 3.6 grams of fiber.
*The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 21-25 grams of fiber per day for women and 30-38 grams per day for men.
*A large cohort study published in the BMJ in 2013 suggested that certain fruits - but not juices - may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults. Over the course of the study, 6.5% of the participants developed diabetes, but the researchers found that consuming three servings per week of blueberries, grapes, raisins, apples or pears reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7%.
Constipation & Digestion: While the roughage (fiber) in a couple handfuls of blueberries prevents constipation, the vitamins, sodium, copper, fructose and acids improve digestion by stimulating the correct gastric and digestive juices to move food smoothly and safely through your gastrointestinal system.
Eye Care & Macular Degeneration:
Blueberries are one of the best alternatives for spectacles, contact-lenses, eye-drops, medications and eye surgeries. They can prevent or delay all age-related ocular problems like macular degeneration, cataracts, myopia and hypermetropia, dryness, and infections, particularly those pertaining to the retina, due to their antioxidant properties. Macular degeneration is a serious problem where the retina of the eye degenerates gradually, ultimately leading to complete or partial blindness. I am certainly not telling you to put blueberries in your eyes, but you can simply eat them for healthier vision. Blueberries contain special groups of antioxidants called carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin etc.), flavonoids (like rutin, resveritrol,quercetin etc.), and other antioxidant compounds like vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, selenium,zinc and phosphorus, which are all very beneficial and essential for ocular health.
Provide fibre
A half-cup of blueberries contains almost two grams of fibre—about the same amount as a slice of whole-wheat bread. Also high in soluble fibres that help lower cholesterol are blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.
Cardiovascular Benefits
Blueberry support of antioxidant defenses has been especially well documented with respect to the cardiovascular system. It's the many different pathways for cardio support that are so striking in the blueberry research. In repeated studies of blood composition, blueberry intake (usually in the amount of 1-2 cups per day and over the course of 1-3 months) has been shown to improve blood fat balances, including reduction in total cholesterol, raising of HDL cholesterol, and lowering of triglycerides. At the same time, blueberry intake has been shown to help protect the blood components (like LDL cholesterol) from oxygen damage that could lead to eventual clogging of the blood vessels. Protection has also been shown for the cells lining the blood vessel walls. Connected with this antioxidant protection of blood vessel structures and blood fats is an improved overall antioxidant capacity in the blood itself. Interestingly, the ability of blueberries to increase plasma antioxidant capacity seems to continue as blueberry intake goes up above everyday levels. For example, some studies have shown better total antioxidant capacity when 3 or more cups of blueberries were consumed per day as compared to a daily intake of 1-2 cups.
Blueberry support of antioxidant defenses has been especially well documented with respect to the cardiovascular system. It's the many different pathways for cardio support that are so striking in the blueberry research. In repeated studies of blood composition, blueberry intake (usually in the amount of 1-2 cups per day and over the course of 1-3 months) has been shown to improve blood fat balances, including reduction in total cholesterol, raising of HDL cholesterol, and lowering of triglycerides. At the same time, blueberry intake has been shown to help protect the blood components (like LDL cholesterol) from oxygen damage that could lead to eventual clogging of the blood vessels. Protection has also been shown for the cells lining the blood vessel walls. Connected with this antioxidant protection of blood vessel structures and blood fats is an improved overall antioxidant capacity in the blood itself. Interestingly, the ability of blueberries to increase plasma antioxidant capacity seems to continue as blueberry intake goes up above everyday levels. For example, some studies have shown better total antioxidant capacity when 3 or more cups of blueberries were consumed per day as compared to a daily intake of 1-2 cups.
*Recent research has added yet another factor to our understanding of blueberries and cardioprotection. That factor involves an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Most studies on NOS have focused on a form of NOS called inducible NOS, or iNOS. Excess formation of iNOS is generally associated with increased risk of inflammation. However, there is a second form of NOS called endogenous NOS, or eNOS. Increased activity of eNOS is usually associated with better balance in cardiovascular function. Recent studies have shown that daily blueberry intake can result in increased eNOS activity, and this result is viewed as helping to explain some of the unique health benefits of blueberries for the cardiovascular system.
*It would be wrong to end a discussion of blueberries and cardiovascular health without talking about blood pressure. In both men and women, and in study participants of many different ages, routine blueberry intake has been shown to support healthy blood pressure. In individuals with high blood pressure, blueberry intake has significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressures . In individuals with health blood pressure, blueberry intake has been shown to help maintain these healthy pressures.
*It would be wrong to end a discussion of blueberries and cardiovascular health without talking about blood pressure. In both men and women, and in study participants of many different ages, routine blueberry intake has been shown to support healthy blood pressure. In individuals with high blood pressure, blueberry intake has significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressures . In individuals with health blood pressure, blueberry intake has been shown to help maintain these healthy pressures.
Lowering blood pressure
Maintaining a low sodium intake is essential to lowering blood pressure. Blueberries are naturally free of sodium and containpotassium, calcium, and magnesium, all of which have been found to decrease blood pressure naturally.
Boost vitamins
One cup of strawberries contains an entire day’s worth of heart-healthy vitamin C. Studies also show that people who eat one serving of strawberries per day tend to have higher blood levels of the B vitamin folate, which helps keep arteries clear.
Reduce cancer risk
A U.S. study found that pterostilbene, abundant in blueberries, may help protect against colon cancer, the second most common cancer in women. Both blackberries and raspberries contain ellagic acid, a phytochemical that helps prevent cancer. Cooking doesn’t seem to destroy it, so even jams, pies and crisps may confer this health benefit.
Immunity:
Blueberries, being very rich in antioxidants like Anthocyanin, vitamin C, B complex, vitamin E, vitamin A, copper (a very effective immune builder and anti-bacterial substance), selenium, zinc, and iron (promotes immunity by raising hemoglobin and oxygen concentration in blood), it can seriously boost your immune system and prevent infections. Once your immune system is strong, you won’t catch colds, fever, pox and countless other communicable diseases spread by bacteria and viruses.
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