Download Blueberries

Blueberries: Why Blue and Purple Foods
Might Save Your Life
All fruits and vegetables from the blue and purple color family contain flavonoids, the most powerful
phytochemicals found in nature.
The following are excellent examples of foods that contain flavonoids:
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Black currants
Black olives
Blackberries
Blueberries*
Eggplant
Elderberries
Plums
Prunes
Purple cabbage
Purple figs
Purple grapes
Raisins
*Many blue and purple foods contain flavonoids. When blueberries were tested against more than 20
other fresh fruits,blueberries were found to contain more antioxidant power. Wild blueberries have
more antioxidants than cultivatedblueberries.
Blueberries
Blueberries provide traditional nutrients—carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene,
folic acid, iron, and potassium. However, that is not what has researchers so excited. They are
interested in the phytochemicals that are so concentrated in these little berries. These
phytochemicals include anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, myricetin, quercetin, resveratrol, and
ellagic acid.
These phytochemicals give the blueberry the ability to:
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Lower the risk of urinary tract infection
Protect against cardiovascular disease
Help reduce short-term memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease
Provide anti-inflammatory abilities
Resist asthma
Help to ease the symptoms of menopause
Prevent cancer, especially colon, breast, and lung
Improve eye health
Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Reduce blood clotting
Older rats fed the equivalent of 1 cup (C) of berries a day are able to navigate their mazes like their
younger counterparts. In addition, the older animals’ legs were as muscular as those of younger
animals.
Combining blueberries with heart-healthy fats seems to increase the flexibility of brain cell
membranes and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Some researchers consider walnuts as an ideal
perfect partner for blueberries. A diet that is moderately rich in blueberries (about 1 C/day) proved to
decrease total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in a study published in the British
Journal of Nutrition.
Other research has shown that regular intake of blueberries also may increase high-density
lipoprotein levels, also known as healthy cholesterol. Some researchers are even calling blueberries
“brainberries,” because of their ability to slow and even reverse deficits in brain functioning. In fact,
one study published in Experimental Neurology showed that when rats were fed blueberries, they
decreased the brain damage caused by strokes and other neurological disorders.
Fresh, frozen, or canned blueberries
Which are best? The absolute gold standard is wild blueberries, flash-frozen to preserve the
phytochemicals.
If on a low-oxalate diet
Blueberries do contain several acids. People who must follow a low-oxalate diet may want to avoid
eating blueberries.
Food interactions
The oxalates in blueberries seem to block the absorption of calcium to some extent. Even though it
is not dangerous to eat the two foods together, you might not want to count all of the calcium
consumed along with the blueberries. If you consume plenty of other calcium-rich products, it
probably is not of any concern.
References and recommended readings
Benson D. Researchers study benefits of blueberries. Baylor College of Medicine Web
site.https://www.bcm.edu/news/nutrition/researchers-study-benefits-of-blueberries. Published July 2,
2013. Accessed April 8, 2014.
Kalt W, Foote K, Fillmore SA, Lyon M, Van Lunen TA, McRae KB. Effect of blueberry feeding on
plasma lipids in pigs. Br J Nutr. 2008;100(1):70-78.
Marano DA. Nature’s bounty: the smartest food. Psychology Today website.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20080527-000001.html. Published May 1, 2008.
Accessed April 8, 2014.
Seerum NP. Berry fruits: compositional elements, biochemical activities, and the impact of their
intake on human health, performance, and disease. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(3):627-629.
doi:10.1021/jf071988k.
Wang Y, Chang CF, Chou J, et al. Dietary supplementation with blueberries, spinach, or spirulina
reduces ischemic brain damage. Exp Neurol. 2005;193(1):75-84.
Review Date 4/14
G-0919