The blueberry is a native American plant, and dates back at least 13,000 years, according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Most blueberries grown are the larger, highbush variety, with the small, lowbush variety generally used for food processing purposes. The blueberry falls in the fruit food group on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid. If you enjoy eating and cooking with blueberries, including them in your diet can help you meet your dieting and nutritional objectives.
Superfood Designation
Blueberries fall on the "superfood" list in books such as "Raw Energy" by Stephanie Tourles. Tourles indicates that blueberries help with inflammation, increase your immune system's strength and may help with circulation and digestion. A publication from the Food and Nutrition Services of Fairfax County, Virginia, places blueberries in the "superfood" category because their high antioxidant content helps with healthy aging and brain health.
Calories and Fat
Raw blueberries are low in calories and almost fat free. A cup of raw blueberries contains 84 calories, making it a filling, low-calorie food when watching your calories while dieting. Raw blueberries have less than .5 g of fat per cup. When dieting, choose raw or unsweetened, frozen blueberries rather than sweetened blueberries. The sweetened variety contains 186 calories per cup, and 45 g of sugar.
Nutrients
The blueberry contains more than 20 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin C. Your body uses Vitamin C for cell health, immune system function and repair of skin tissue. Blueberries are also high in potassium, with 114 mcg per cup, and have 29 mcg of vitamin K, about 25 percent of the amount men need and 32 percent of what women need. Blueberries contain 15 g of naturally occurring sugars, 9 mg of calcium and a trace of iron.
Fiber and Weight Loss
The 3.6 g of fiber in one cup of blueberries can help your digestive system function more efficiently, and may help you if you are trying to lose weight. A March 2005 study published in the journal "Nutrition" discovered that study participants who consumed greater amounts of fiber experienced greater weight loss than participants who ate less fiber.
Considerations
Blueberries, along with other fruits such as peaches, are one of the dozen fruits that the Environmental Working Group identified as a fruit often contaminated with high concentrations of pesticides. Purchase blueberries from an organic source, if possible. Include blueberries in your breakfast cereal, sprinkled over spinach leaves, baked in whole-wheat blueberry muffins or as a healthy, low-calorie snack.
References
- U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: Production
- Fairfax County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Service; Nutrifax; Superfoods; 2008
- "Raw Energy"; Stephanie Tourles; 2009
- USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Blueberries, Raw and Frozen, Sweetened
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin K
- "Nutrition"; Dietary Fiber and Body Weight; Joanne Slavin, et al.; March 2005
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