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Blueberries were one of the first foods to be called a Superfood. That’s because these small purplish-blue berries are packed full of nutrition and wellness according to Health. This summer fruit grows on bushes in the wild and they are farmed in many regions of the world. You can pick your own, buy at a farmer’s market, or in your local grocery store.
You can enjoy fresh blueberries when they are in season or buy frozen year-round. It’s easy to freeze your own too. Blueberries are great to eat with yogurt, oatmeal or added to a fruit salad or smoothie. You can make blueberry pancakes, muffins, or bake a blueberry pie. Or just enjoy handfuls of this delicious fruit as a healthy anytime snack. Here are seven sensational health benefits of blueberries:
Packed With Nutrition
Just one cup of blueberries contains 24 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C according to Medical News Today. But that’s only the beginning, the berries contain over a third of the required bone-supporting vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, manganese, potassium, zinc, and one gram of protein. They are low in calories, sodium-free, and contain no fat, making them truly a Superfood.
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Helps Protect Against Disease
Blueberries ranks as one of the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity – this reduces oxidative stress – according to Health. That’s because they contain anthocyanin (this gives the berries their blue color) and polyphenol antioxidants that promote cell health. This helps to fend off DNA damage and may lower the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and some cancers like prostate, lung, colon, pancreatic, and endometrial.
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Promotes Heart Health
The fiber, potassium, and vitamins in blueberries help support heart health according to Medical News Today, plus the fiber content helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood and this reduces your risk of hardening of your arteries and heart disease. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health showed that the regular consumption of anthocyanins (antioxidants found in blueberries) can reduce your risk of a heart attack by 32 percent. Blueberries can also help you lower your blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attacks.
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Helps to Regulate Blood Sugar
Eating blueberries can also help you manage diabetes because of their high fiber content; one cup of blueberries contains 3.6 grams of fiber. The berries are also low in sugar so they have a low Glycemic Index that reduces blood sugar spikes after eating and they may help improve insulin sensitivity which manages blood sugar levels according to BBC Good Food.
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Aids Memory and Brain Function
These berries also improve cognitive function, and protects memory according to Health. A 2019 systematic analysis of 11 studies about the effects of blueberries on cognitive performance in aging showed that eating blueberries helped protect delayed memory, executive function, and psychomotor function in seniors with mild cognitive impairment. Berries are also the only fruit included on the MIND Diet for brain health that could prevent or delay the onset of dementia and cognitive decline.
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Contributes to Good Gut Health
Blueberries can help prevent constipation because of their fiber content and help maintain a healthy gut. According to BBC Good Food, the berries were used as a traditional remedy for gastrointestinal conditions and also for UTIs.
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Helps Maintain Healthy Bones
Blueberries contain the minerals and vitamins – iron, calcium, vitamin K, zinc, magnesium and manganese – that are the components of your bones. Getting enough of these contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength according to Medical News Today. Consuming adequate amounts of Vitamin K also improves calcium absorption and reduces calcium loss as you age.
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