Blueberry Pie Nutrition Information

Like any fruit pie, the average blueberry pie is a dessert that is moderately high in calories and fat, due to the sugar in the fruit and filling and butter or shortening in the crust. Thanks to the health benefits of blueberries, however, the nutrition information for a slice of blueberry pie is less forbidding than for most other pies.

Nutrition Analysis

One slice of an average, commercially prepared (store-bought) blueberry pie (1/8 of a 9-inch diameter pie) supplies 290 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 406 mg sodium and 44 g carbohydrates, which includes sugar.
One average slice of an average home-baked blueberry pie (1/8 of a 9-inch diameter pie) supplies 360 calories, 17 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 272 mg sodium and 49 g carbohydrates.

Effects

Blueberry pie nutrition information takes into account the antioxidant effect of substances known as anthocyanins that are concentrated in blueberries. Anthocyanins give blueberries their blue color and, as antioxidants, protect body cells from damage and destruction that can lead to chronic disease. A study performed at The University of New South Wales in Australia and published in a 2004 issue of the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology showed that this antioxidant effect is equally strong in both fresh and frozen blueberries. A study performed by the U.S. Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, published in January 2007 in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, indicated that blueberries also have an anti-inflammatory effect in the brain, which may help prevent the loss of brain cells.

Benefits

The antioxidant benefits of blueberries in any form may help improve blood cholesterol, insulin sensitivity and other factors that can ultimately lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the University of Michigan's cardiovascular center say the benefits are more substantial when the berries are consumed regularly as part of a low-fat diet.

Types

Both cultivated (farmed) and wild blueberries are on the top 20 list of foods highest in health-promoting antioxidants compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but wild blueberries are at the top of the list. If you're making your own blueberry pie and want to boost the nutrition and health value, choose wild berries for your filling.

Warning

Blueberries in all forms appear to confer a variety of health benefits, but since blueberry pie nutrition information reveals a high fat content in the pastry that encases the berries and, usually, a lot of added sugar, a slice of pie may not be the best way to get your antioxidants, at least not on a regular basis.