Blueberries for health
Antioxidant Super Foods have become a trend that people can’t get enough of. They contain a great combination of vitamins, nutrients and minerals that are powerful enough to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and for an added bonus, put you in a better mood. So how do you become part of the Super Food trend?
Let’s talk Super Food Blueberries – the tasty little bites we all love to snack on and include in desserts (blueberry pie anyone?). High in antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C. They are a powerhouse superfood packed with what seems like an endless number of benefits.
- Super source of Antioxidants
Often referred to as the King of Antioxidants, blueberries remove free radicals from the blood and are also full of phytonutrients called flavonoids that reduce the risk of various types of diseases and illnesses like cancer and heart problems. Antioxidants act against both oxidative stress and inflammation. Regular consumption has found to help the not only cardiovascular system but also protect against neurodegenerative and digestive diseases.
- Reducing inflammation caused by poor diet
Inflammation is our body's positive natural response to infection and injury as it begins to heal itself. However, when inflammation becomes uncontrolled, chronic inflammation has the opposite effect on our bodies. It is often caused by a combination of an unhealthy highly-processed diet, stress, weight gain and poor lifestyle choices, all of which negatively affect the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
Blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins which have anti-inflammatory effects on our bodies by inhibiting damage on some types of cells, helping to reduce inflammation. Flavonoids prevent further inflammation and protect against further cell damage. Symptoms related to inflammation from the development of chronic diseases such as heart, joint, age-related and auto-immune diseases have all been known to be almost completely reversed by consuming blueberries regularly.
- Boosts brain health
Oxidative stress can speed up the brain’s aging process, having a negative impact on brain function. The antioxidant properties of blueberries have been known to not only improve memory but slow down cognitive diseases related to aging by up to 2.5 years. They do this by reducing the oxidative stress on our nerve cells, allowing cell function to run smoothly. Although mental aging is unavoidable, blueberries have definitely shown to slow and prevent the process of this happening.
- Immunity
We know that the antioxidants in blueberries help reduce damage to our cells and boost our immune system. In addition to this, blueberries are packed with vitamins C, K and A, and minerals potassium and manganese. All of which collaboratively boost our immune systems and prevent illness and disease from occurring. It’s no wonder blueberries have been names the #1 superfood.
- Regulating blood sugar
People with type 2 diabetes have been proven to show positive effects to insulin sensitivity and an improved glucose metabolism by consuming a diet high in soluble fiber. Although blueberries contain natural sugar, they are packed with fibre, which slows the absorption of sugar and helps improve blood sugar, lipid and insulin levels. Blueberries contain 3.6g per one cup of the daily recommended 25-30g.
If any of these great benefits aren’t enough of a reason to get more blueberries into your diet, think about this: you can literally eat them at any time of the day in so many ways – breakfast or dessert! So go for it, make that blueberry pie.