The Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries are an all around good food for you. They’re packed with antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium and vitamin C, and studies show they can lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and help with memory function. Blueberries are a superfood so the health benefits of blueberries outshine almost any other food.

Are Blueberries good for my memory?

A recent study that included 16 participants with an average age of 78 were asked to drink about two cups of blueberry juice everyday for 12 weeks. While all participants experienced age-related cognitive problems, the blueberry juice drinkers showed significantly better performance on two memory tests than a control group of seven participants who drank a sweet placebo beverage that contained no juice. What’s more, the juice drinkers’ test scores had improved by the end of the 12 weeks.

The study, the first of its kind, is provocative because we still have no cure for dementia or other age-related memory problems that will plague millions of Baby Boomers as they get older. Consuming blueberry juice may be a way to prevent or delay the onset of such problems; past animal studies have also associated the berries with better memory. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants like anthocyanins that help counter inflammation, which research suggests contributes to Alzheimer’s disease. Anthocyanins have also been associated with increased neuronal signaling in the brain, according to the new paper, which may help explain why the blueberry-juice drinkers were able to improve their memory scores.

What Can Blueberries do For Your Health?

Several recent research studies have shown that blueberries hold even more health benefits than was originally thought. It should also be noted that the wild blueberry varieties contain even more of some nutrients than do the cultivated varieties. Reports released in 2007 showed that the many antioxidants in the skins and flesh of blueberries fight off the effects of Alzheimer ’s disease and slow its degenerative process. In fact, some studies have even shown that consuming this berry can lessen the negative effects from a stroke or other ischemic event. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a report that showed that individuals who consumed blueberry juice had better memory and fewer problems with depression. Multiple studies have also shown its benefits on the heart and cardiovascular health. The high amount of anthocyanins in blueberries, which gives the fruit its deep blue color, relaxes and widens the blood vessels causing decreased blood pressure. It may also decrease bad LDL cholesterol levels. Finally, a research study by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center showed that blueberries decrease abdominal fat and in turn decreases the incidence of metabolic syndrome.

In addition, blueberries have numerous health benefits that have been known by scientists for several years or decades. Blueberries have more antioxidant properties than any other fruit. Antioxidants have been shown to decrease the movement of free radicals throughout the body, which in turn decreases one’s risk for cancer and decreases the effects of aging throughout the body’s organs especially the skin. It is also well-known that blueberries, similar to cranberries, promote the health of the urinary tract by cleansing the tract of unhealthy bacteria and thereby preventing urinary tract infections. This fruit’s high levels of anthocyanins aid in vision by decreasing the incidence of vision loss from such disease processes as macular degeneration and cataracts. Finally, the dietary fiber from the skin of the fruit decreases the incidence of constipation while the vitamins and minerals such as copper improve digestion.

Blueberry Nutrition Information:

Raw blueberries are a wonderful choice for a snack. A typical portion size is about two and a half ounces, which translates into approximately fifty average sized berries. A portion contains around forty calories; almost none of these calories are from fat. Of course, there is no cholesterol and only a minute amount of sodium. The fruit is composed mainly of carbohydrates with approximately seven grams of sugar and two grams of dietary fiber in one serving.

Although blueberries contain small portions of a variety of vitamins and minerals, they are mostly known for supplying vitamins C and K and the mineral known as manganese. In fact, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s guidelines, this fruit provides a fifth of the recommended daily amount of manganese and a fourth of the daily amount of vitamin K. In addition, blueberries have a small amount of the B vitamins which provide energy to the body.

Summary:

Blueberries are truly natural powerhouses that are filled with nutrients to ward off a number of diseases and aid in good health. Scientific research studies continue to dig deeper into this fruit’s many wonderful attributes. With so many delicious ways to eat this fruit, no one will be able to resist its juicy, sweet flavor and gain from the health benefits of blueberries whether eaten whole or as blueberry juice. 

At Natures Healthbox we recommend our BlueberryActive Juice 210ml as buying blueberries on a daily basis can be very expensive.