Blueberries: Vitamins & Nutrition

Blueberries grow on shrubs, and are a member of the heath family, which also includes cranberry and bilberry. The typical growing season for blueberries in the United States is May to October, but they are available fresh year-round because they are imported from the southern hemisphere.

Calories and Fiber

One cup of blueberries contains 84 calories, nearly all of which come from carbohydrates. A cup supplies only 1.1 g of protein and less than 1 g of fat, but 21.5 g of carbohydrates, more than half of which are sugar. Of the 14.7 g of sugar in each cup, 7.3 g are fructose, 7.2 g are glucose and less than 1 g is sucrose. One cup of blueberries also provides 3.6 g of fiber, or 13 percent of the recommended daily amount for most adults.

Vitamin C

One cup of blueberries contains 14.4 mg of vitamin C, which supplies 19 percent of the recommended daily amount for women and 16 percent for men. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant to guard against cell damage from free radicals, which are created when you metabolize food for energy or you are exposed to environmental stress, such as pollution. Vitamin C also helps you absorb iron, especially from vegetarian sources such as beans.

Vitamin K

Like most dark-colored berries, blueberries are also high in fat-soluble vitamin K. One cup contains 28.6 mg, which provides 24 percent of the recommended daily amount for men and 32 percent for women. Vitamin K assists in the production of proteins essential for strong bones, healthy tissue and blood clotting. Because vitamin K helps your blood to clot more easily, talk to your doctor about your intake of foods high in vitamin K if you take blood thinners.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

Blueberries also contain smaller amounts of other vitamins, including vitamin E and many B vitamins. One cup provides 5 percent or more of the recommended amount of thiamine, riboflavin and B-6, all of which are water-soluble B vitamins. One cup also supplies 6 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin E, which is important for normal metabolism and a healthy immune system. Additionally, a cup supplies more than 20 percent of manganese, a trace mineral that helps keep your blood sugar stable.