Blueberries are bursting with a lot more than sweetness and flavor. This colorful berry is packed with disease-fighting phytochemicals in addition to vitamins, minerals and soluble fiber. Choose frozen wild blueberries to get the highest level of powerful phytochemicals all year long, advises Kindy R. Peaslee, R.D. in "Today's Dietitian." Blueberries are a nutrient-dense superfood that provide many health benefits for just 84 calories per cup.
Flavanoids
Blueberries have the highest level of antioxidants compared with other fruits and vegetables. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants called flavanoids, the most powerful phytochemicals known. Blueberries are chock full of anthocyanins, pigments that give them their blue color and imbue them with disease-fighting abilities. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that prevent cell damage from free radicals, protecting you from heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and an array other age-related disorders and possibly even aging itself. Blueberries also contain the flavanoid egallic acid and are a source of soluble fiber, which in tandem may protect you from colon cancer.
Blueberries and the Brain
Blueberries are called "brainberries" by neuroscientist James A. Joseph of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Josef's research on dark-hued fruits and vegetables found evidence that eating blueberries is one of the best things you can do to protect your brain from aging is to eat a cup of wild blueberries each morning. It appears that the anthocyanidins in blueberries decrease inflammation, which protects your brain and heart. Anthocyanidins also make brain cells highly responsive to incoming messages form other cells and stimulate the growth of new brain cells. Increase the brain benefits of blueberries by eating them with walnuts, which also contain nutrients important for brain health. Joseph says it's never too late to make these dietary changes and reap the benefits.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
One cup of blueberries contains 118 mcg of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect your eyesight. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, pigments that give plants their color. They're found in the retina and the lens of the eye, and evidence suggests they can protect you from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the leading causes of blindness. There is no established recommended daily value for lutein and zeaxanthin.
Vitamin C
Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C. A cup of the berries provides you with 14.36 mg of vitamin C, or 24 percent of the daily value recommended for a 2,000-calorie diet. You need a new supply of vitamin C each day, because it's not stored in your body. Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of skin, tendons and blood vessels; wound healing; and the maintenance and repair of teeth, bones and cartilage. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects your cells from damage by free radicals, substances your body produces that are implicated in the aging process and the development of heart disease, cancer and arthritis.
References
- HealthAlicious.com: Bleberries: Raw: 1 cup
- "Psychology Today"; Nature's Bounty: The Smartest Food; Daniel A. Marano; Oct. 1, 2008
- "Today's Dietitian"; The Power of a Blue Diet; Kindy R. Peaslee, RD
- MedlinePlus: Vitamin C
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University; Carotenoids; Jane Higdon, Ph.D.; December 2005
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