Bowl of Cereal Granola and Fruit
Bowl of Cereal Granola and Fruit

Blueberries do not only taste delicious. The plump, juicy berries are also known as a source of many health benefits. Blueberries are high in nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. These nutritional content in the juicy fruits can help improve one’s memory, along with the other extraordinary benefits that you need to know. Study shows that it helps prevent several types of diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

The tiny, blue fruits originated from North America, but they are easy to find anywhere in the world. This is because blueberries are effortless to grow, as long as you have the right soil. Nature’s superfood is easy to get anywhere you are, so don’t worry about finding a source of daily health-booster! Here are various nutrient contents in blueberries:

Pancake
Pancake

1. Vitamins

Blueberries aren’t simply popular because of their sweetness. They are labeled superfood, which means these nutritious foods are rich in vitamins, including vitamin C and vitamin K. Getting the necessary amount of vitamin C on a daily basis is important. It helps to maintain healthy skin and body resistance. Vitamin K is useful to maintain bone health. With only one cup of blueberries, you can get 24% of vitamin C and 36% vitamin K, based on the reference daily intake (RDI). Blueberries also contain a small amount of vitamin E and B6, which is also important to maintain healthy skin, eyes, nerve function, and blood formation.

This means that blueberries are nutrient-dense. The best part is, blueberries contain 85% water, making the fruit low in calories. One cup of blueberries only contains 84 calories. The carbohydrates contained in blueberries are mostly complex carbohydrates. They are an excellent source of nutrients while maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

2. Antioxidants

Not only are blueberries high in antioxidants, but they are also considered to be the king of antioxidant fruits. The antioxidant is beneficial to accelerate the wound healing process as well as to protect the body from free radicals that could lead to aging and several risks such as cancer. With the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other fruit and vegetables, blueberries have shown to directly increase the level of antioxidants in your body. The main compound of antioxidant in blueberries is flavonoids, which has shown the greatest impact on the human’s body.

3. Fiber

Fiber can be found in many fruits and vegetables, including blueberries. Blueberries are high in fiber. The fiber is beneficial to control cholesterol, blood sugar levels, weight as to prevent obesity, and constipation prevention and treatment. Blueberries are among one of the favorite toppings for smoothie bowls. They are often mixed with greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is a creamy and delicious yogurt that is more concentrated in protein compared to regular yogurt. Blueberries supplement greek yogurt by adding vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. Another way to get extra fiber is through oatmeal, sprinkles of chia seeds or flax seeds, and a protein shake. They taste well when combined with blueberries.

4. Minerals

Our body requires different types of minerals daily. Blueberries contain several minerals that can also help to maintain your health. The minerals in blueberries are manganese, zinc, iron, copper, and potassium. Each of these can help to strengthen bones and maintain their structure.

5. Other Benefits

Blueberries
Blueberries

These nutrient-dense fruits have a lot of benefits, from maintaining a healthy body to preventing various diseases. One of the important benefits is to reduce the risk factors of heart attacks. This is because blueberries consumption may lower blood pressure and prevent fat accumulation and damage in the blood vessels of the heart. This is because blueberries are rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are associated with decreasing risk of heart attacks. Heart attacks are the world’s leading cause of death, which means extra risk reduction would be very beneficial.

Moreover, regular blueberries consumption is also helpful to brain health by maintaining its memory and improving concentration. The risk of brain disorders, such as stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease can be decreased by consuming blueberries. Again, this is thanks to the antioxidants in blueberries. The antioxidants can benefit brain function and delaying mental decline as one age.

Blueberries are also great for preventing premature aging due to their vitamin C and antioxidants content. They stimulate the formation of collagen in the skin, which is known to be great prevention of wrinkles and skin damage due to pollution and sun exposure. Blueberries also reduce DNA damage as we get older. DNA damage is important in the development of cancer-like diseases. Blueberries are rich in nutrients that could reduce DNA damage, which could prevent the risk of lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and oral cancer.

With the sweetness of its taste, blueberries do have moderate amounts of sugar. However, blueberries are good for blood sugar control. These actually have beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, which is great for people who have problems regulating blood sugar, such as diabetic patients.

If you love exercising, blueberries may also reduce inflammation and muscle damage post-exercise. Blueberries can be part of your workout supplements to help the wound healing process and boost immunity. This could help your muscle to recover after strenuous exercise.

Pancake
Pancake

Blueberries are healthy and packed with a bunch of nutritious content. Along with the effects on heart, brain, and skin health, blueberries taste nice. You can consume blueberries directly, and it would taste amazing. They are also a great complement to other foods, such as yogurt, breakfast pancakes, oatmeal, and even various cakes. Blueberries can be easily enjoyed fresh or frozen, depending on your preference. Adding blueberries into your daily fruits intake would give a lot of benefits to your overall health. Make sure to choose blueberries that are smooth, clean, and ripe. Unripe blueberries are soft, wilted, and moldy. Just like other fruits, make sure that you always wash your blueberries before consuming them. This is to avoid the dirt that could probably lead to food poisoning or bacterial infections. Lastly, make sure you consume the right amount based on the recommended daily intake. Enjoy the sweet and colorful healthy treats!

Share:

Leave a Reply