What Are The Benefits Of Wild Blueberry Juice?

Wild blueberries, also known as lowbush blueberries, grow in the glacial soils of Maine and Canada. Smaller than their cultivated counterpart, wild blueberries contain higher levels of antioxidants--compounds that help counteract the effects of cell-damaging free radicals---than farmed blueberries. Although whole blueberries provide more health benefits than blueberry juice, wild blueberry juice remains one of the highest sources of antioxidants in foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Memory

Wild blueberry juice may offer protection against memory loss in aging adults. A preliminary study by Dr. Robert Krikorian of the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center demonstrated an improvement in cognitive function when study subjects consumed wild blueberry juice daily for three months. Wild blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, plant compounds with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and anthocyanins are associated with increased nerve signaling in the brain, states Dr. Krikorian. Although further study is needed to confirm these findings, wild blueberry juice may help keep your mind active and healthy.

Cancer

In the October 2004 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," Dr. B. Schmidt discovered that extracts made from wild blueberries significantly slowed the growth of human prostate and mouse liver cancer cells in the laboratory. The wild blueberry extracts were rich in compounds known as proanthocyanidins, and Dr. Schmidt associates the high levels of these compounds in wild blueberries to their anti-cancer effect. While this study does not prove that wild blueberry juice helps prevent cancer, including it as part of your overall fruit and vegetable intake increases your dietary antioxidant levels.

Urinary Tract Infection

Adhesion of E. coli bacteria to your urinary tract is a hallmark of urinary tract infections. The same October 2004 study described in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" also assessed the ability of wild blueberry extracts to inhibit the adhesion properties of these bacteria. Dr. Schmidt found that the greater the content of proanthocyanidins in wild blueberry extracts, the greater the ability to inhibit the adhesion of these bacteria. The antioxidants in wild blueberry juice may help decrease your risk of urinary tract infections.

Stroke

Ischemic stroke occurs when part of your brain is denied oxygen, often due to a blood clot. The high levels of antioxidants in wild blueberries help protect your body against oxidative stress, a factor implicated in ischemic stroke. In a study conducted on rats, Dr. Marva Sweeney of the University of Prince Edward Island's Department of Biology concluded that consumption of wild blueberries protected rats from stroke-induced nerve and brain damage. While wild blueberry juice contains less antioxidant than the whole fruit, the juice is still an excellent source of anthocyanins and may confer protection against brain damage due to ischemic stroke.