Super Foods Part 3: Blueberries (Vaccinium Cyanococcus)
There are actually many types of blueberry, including some bilberries that are called blueberries in other languages, but the Latin classification I have used in the title refers to the kind grown in North America, and the most common type to be sold in the UK. Although this will be the blueberry I will be referring to here, all blueberries are in fact packed with almost exactly the same sort of nutrients, so please do not get too hung up on the type of blueberry, just enjoy whichever type you can get your teeth into, so to speak!!
Blueberries have three benefits to them; they are a cure for a variety of ailments, a prevention for a number of life threatening diseases and an anti-aging marvel. Lets begin with their ability to cure.
Blueberries have a fantastic amount of micronutrients, particularly high levels of vitamin C and K. This is one of the reasons why they have proven to be a great laxative. So if your constipated, try a cup of blueberries. As well as that, they are also a superb blood cleanser and detoxifier, so if you’ve had a heavy night out, this maybe a good thing to help cure that hangover. The fact that they have a large effect on the brain, which I will cover later, may also be a contributing factor to their possible ability to help with a headache. They have been found to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and certain affects of heart disease, due to their high levels of reservatrol (this phytochemical was covered in detail in the last article on grapes, so I will not repeat myself here) and other flavonoids that are extremely important for superior health. These phytochemicals will help reduce inflammation too. All in all, a powerful little berry.
As well as being able to cure these problems, regular consumption of blueberries will have a preventative measure. In fact, the antioxidant content of blueberries has been proven by the US Department of Agriculture in 2004 to be so high that it tops the list of fruit tested as the best source of antioxidants. Of all the food tested with ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), blueberries came second. You’ll have to read my other Super Food articles to find out what topped the list!! Seriously though, considering all the available fruits out there that are antioxidant-rich, that is impressive for a small berry. This is one of the reasons research has shown that blueberries have anti-cancer effects.
An example of its antioxidant ability can be seen in Rutgers University’s recent findings that certain compounds called proanthocyanidins, in blueberries, promote urinary tract health. They also reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells of the urinary tract wall lining. One reason for this may be that they are extremely high in an essential dietary mineral called Manganese. Manganese essentially finds its way to the liver and kidneys where it is stored, and also the brain. However, it is essential for all mammals as it is one of the main detoxifers for the extremely toxic effects of superoxides. The fact that blueberries are crammed full of manganese does not seem like a coincidence.
It has also been found that when feeding blueberries to animals who have been abjected to experimental strokes, that the blueberries actually lowered the resulting brain damage. Even the leaves from the blueberry bush seem to contain a compound that stops the replication of the Hepatitis C virus. Unfortunately it has not yet found to be a cure, but it has been found to be a very effective inhibitor.
However, the thing that the blueberry is probably most famous for is the title; ‘The Brain Berry’. As with the disease prevention, this is due to its high content of antioxidants, which have been heavily linked to the prevention and reversal of age related mental decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease (Interestingly cranberries also have a similar effect on Alzheimer’s disease, so if you can’t find blueberries because they are out of season, they will make a good alternative). Various tests that have been conducted on both mice and rats, have found that blueberries not only slow age related loss of mental capacity, but they also increased the retention of signal-transmitting neurons, plus they decreased the oxidated stress on the brain. In fact the process of oxidative stress is considered to be the reason behind many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging. This basically means blueberries will help increase your memory, when you are old and afraid it might fail and fight off those nasty radicals that would be the cause for this. Just remember to eat your blueberries!!
Jim Joseph, director of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (HNRC), has began testing the effects of blueberries on humans and preliminary results show people performing 5–6% better on motor skills tests when consuming a cup of blueberries every day.
So there you have it, they increase your memory and mind power, fight cancer, slow the aging process and can even help you with not being able to go to the toilet. A super food indeed!
If you are interested in learning more about what foods you should be eating in order to lose weight then go ahead and check this out:
If you are looking for more information on dieting for your health, then I would recommend you purchase this series of ebooks from Healing Gourmet:
They explain everything in a clear and concise manner, so that you can fully understand what you should be eating in order to stay in good health, or to regain your health when you have let it slide. If the latter is the case, you must not delay. The longer you put it off the worse it will become. Act now!
