Blueberries Health Benefits


Blueberries Health Benefits. Health Benefits of Blueberries and Facts about blueberries.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries are an excellent source of the following: antioxidant anthocyanins (and other polyphenols such as proanthocyanins, quercetins and catechins), vitamin C, fiber, folate, carotenoids, potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, riboflavin, niacin, phytoestrogens, salicylic acid, multiple phytonutrients.

Antioxidant Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries are extremely rich in antioxidant phytonutrients (in particular, anthocyanin). These nutrients help preserve cell health and prevent many of the degenerative diseases that plague us as we age. As Pratt and Matthews note, blueberries contain more powerful disease-fighting antioxidants than any other single fruit. They are absolute powerhouses in the world of health-promoting foods.

Facts about Blueberries

Here is a list of diseases that blueberries can help to prevent:

  • Cancer (Antioxidant carotenoids help modulate your immune system, inhibit abnormal cell growth and decrease the mutation rate of cells. They also increase the UV protective capacity of your skin, decrease the redness of your skin after sun exposure and decrease the incidence of age-related macular degeneration.)
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Degeneration in vision
  • Urinary Tract infection
  • Inflammation
  • Degeneration of cognitive ability, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (blueberries are also excellent brain foods that boost cognitive ability). Blueberries protect the brain against oxidative stress, which leads to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Oxidative stress can also lead to cancer, cataracts, atherosclerosis and macular degeneration.

One exciting study suggested that blueberries (more so than even spinach or strawberries) slowed and in some cases reversed deficits in brain function, motor performance and learning and memories abilities in old animals.

Recommended Daily Intake

1 to 2 cups daily will be excellent for your daily needs; you will already enjoy all the blueberries health benefits.

How to include blueberries in your diet

Simply top your bowl of yogurt with fresh blueberries. If fresh blueberries are not readily available, frozen blueberries are equally effective in producing the above noted health benefits. Nonetheless, wild blueberries contain even more antioxidants, and can usually be found in the frozen berry section of supermarkets.

Otherwise, you can obtain blueberries from 100 percent juice or in jams.


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