Blueberries Explode with Nutrients, Antioxidants

Some of the healthiest foods you could ever eat are berries. From raspberries to strawberries to blackberries, all pack a wallop of nutritional value including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And then there’s the blueberry. Blueberries are in a class of their own. With all the benefits of the other berries, blueberries can help fight off cancer, heart disease, brain deterioration and more.

Blueberries, like most berries, are extremely high in antioxidants. But did you know that the concentration of antioxidants in blueberries is greater than 60 other fruits that were tested including strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and prunes? Antioxidants are a vital part of nutritional health because they help protect the cells in your body from harmful free radicals. And that’s exactly what the antioxidants found in blueberries do, they protect us from free radicals that damage cells, which can lead to the development of cancer. Because antioxidants help protect cells, it’s also thought that blueberries have nutritional benefits when it comes to the aging process and heart disease. Based on lab studies, blueberries slowed the oxidative process of the brain in mice, helping to preserve it, and improving motor skills. And an antioxidant also found in blueberries called pterostilebene has been shown to help fight off heart disease because it stimulates the body’s ability to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).

Other health properties in blueberries like fiber, along with tannins (an astringent substance) will help keep you regular and help alleviate constipation or diarrhea. It may sound funny, but healthy elimination is an important way to keep our bodies in top shape. Blueberries also help fight off urinary tract infections.

One cup of blue berries can satisfy one of the five servings of fruits and vegetables recommended each day. In that one cup, you’ll only find about 84 calories and get a good amount of fiber, vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, manganese, Iron and more.

You can eat blueberries whole right out of the package. Or get more creative and add them to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning. As a mid-day snack have a handful of almonds along with one cup of blueberries and you’ll have over a fourth of the fiber you need for the day, along with several grams of protein and few healthy carbs that won’t spike your blood sugar.