Health Benefits Of Eating Blueberries

Poor little blueberries, sitting on that super market shelf longing to be picked up and put into your shopping cart. I think that saying; “Dynamite comes in small packages” was written with blueberries in mind. There have been numerous studies based on the health benefits of eating blueberries. The findings are astounding; just imagine how much good you could do for your body by just eating a handful of blueberries everyday!

Instead of grabbing for that desert packed with sugar and other processed goodies, try eating some blueberries and other fresh fruits. Natural sugar is always the best way to go.

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A research team from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the Southwest of England has discovered that phytochemical rich foods such as blueberries are effective at reversing age-related deficits in memory. Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids. Along with flavonoids they contain anthocyanins, and flavanols, which are all, antioxidants believed to enhance existing neuronal connections.

What are the benefits of eating blueberries

The benefits of blueberries have been an important topic to researchers for years. In the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and food Chemistry, researchers used a technique called oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) to test the antioxidant power of more that 100 fruits, vegetables, and spices. Blueberries were proved to be the fruit with the highest antioxidant power. Scientist give all the credit to the anthocyanin the blueberry contains, this phytonutrient is responsible for the colour of the blueberry. That is why it is always such a great idea to eat fruits and vegetables rich in colour, these hold the most nutrients.

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According to researchers at Rutgers University, and the U.S Department of Agriculture something so simple as adding blueberries to your diet, can prevent certain cancers. Blueberries also contain a compound called pterostilbene. Pterostilbene, a naturally occurring stilbene from blueberries, was tested for its preventive activity against colon cancer.

The healthful possibilities are endless when it comes to blueberries and other fruits and vegetables. They have a tremendous impact on encouraging and maintaining your nutritional health.

Blueberries, especially organic ones, help the body in ways such as:

1. Decreasing your risk of cancer
2. Preventing heart disease and stroke by reducing the build up of so called “bad” cholesterol
3. Guarding against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases
4. Combating aging and reversing short term memory loss
5. Relieving arthritis inflammation
6. Fighting infection and bolstering the immune system
7. Promoting urinary tract health
8. Optimizing vision health and reversing the causes of macular degeneration and blindness
9. Improving motor skills

A fun way to spice up a turkey burger is to add some blueberries in the mix. The fruit makes the burgers more nutritious by adding antioxidants and decreasing the fat content, not to mention blueberries make for a juicer burger. According to the Washington post researchers are planning on taste testing these fruit burgers in hopes of this being an option for school lunch programs.

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If you are not use to a healthy lifestyle, things must be done in small steps. Placing a bowl of fresh blueberries on a coffee table for you and your children to eat as a snack is such a wonderful start. When you begin to make healthy choices you are preventing aliments in the body and teaching children by example. You can also make delicious recipes with blueberries! These studies based on the health benefits of eating of blueberries certainly prove that blueberries should be party of your weekly meal planning. So, eat those blueberries!