Blueberries Are REALLY Good for You

This article was posted on The Nutrition and Food Web Archive today. They are more than a tasty source of anti-oxidants. [Emphasis added.]

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Go wild with the nutritional power of wild blueberries

When it comes to fighting disease, wild blueberries may be small in size, but scientific research shows they pack a powerful punch of protection. Wild blueberries are distinct from their cultivated cousin not only because of the unique way they grow, but also due to their amazingly sweet, tangy taste and size. The sweet fruit is balanced by the high acidity, producing the perfect combination of natural flavour and is found in the low-bush of the northern climates of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, deemed “Land of the Wild Blueberries” by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

The fruit’s small compact size also delivers more berries per pound; more skin per ounce means more health-promoting antioxidants and goodness. Some of the most powerful antioxidants include phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, which are the deep-blue pigments that are highly concentrated in wild blueberries. Foods high in antioxidants help prevent cellular damage from free radicals, which can offer a defense against heart disease, stroke, some cancers and brain aging. While antioxidant benefits are impressive on their own, researchers are now exploring whether anti-inflammatory benefits of this small fruit supersede even the highly-touted antioxidant benefits.

James A. Joseph, PhD, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston is working with blueberries to examine their potential to help improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging. Joseph believes that deep-blue blueberries may be one of the best age-proofing foods included in one’s diet. Along with the brain health benefits of this very powerful food are the potential added benefits of cancer prevention. Only a half-cup of wild blueberries delivers the recommended amount of fruit into one’s daily diet.

While research into the antioxidant health benefits of wild blueberries continues, new research is emerging to suggest that the anti-inflammatory benefits of the fruit’s flavonoids may even surpass its antioxidant benefits. Even low levels of flavonoids may be sufficient to promote anti-inflammatory processes throughout the body, including the brain. As we age, a general increase in inflammation throughout the body contributes to the degenerative processes that characterize aging. Since inflammation and oxidative stress are closely linked processes in disease and aging, the fact that blueberry flavonoids appear to possess both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties is extremely exciting.

Current studies by scientist Dr. Wilhelmina Kalt at the Atlantic Food and Horticultural Research Centre in Kentville, Nova Scotia are underway, exploring cardio protection by blueberry flavonoids and the absorption of blueberry anthocyanins in the body.

- News Canada

Re: Blueberries Are REALLY Good for You

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