Blueberries are delicious and healthy, thus overly popular. They have low calories and are packed with numerous benefits, thus their nickname ‘superfoods.’ Most people cherish blueberries as their favorite fruit owing to their incredible health benefits and convenience.
Here’s 10 Incredible and Proven Health Benefits of Blueberries
1. They are Low in Calories but High Nutrient Content
Blueberries are small fruits, around 0.2- 0.6 inches in diameter. They originate from a flowering blueberry shrub and have a bluish-purple hue and a broad crown at the end. You can easily confuse the blueberry bush with other related shrubs, particularly those that produce cranberries and huckleberries. Blueberries first appear in a green color, which deepens to purple and eventually blue as they ripen.
There are two common types of blueberries, including the highbush blueberry, which is the most popular variety in the USA. The high bush, also known as wild blueberries, are relatively smaller but burst with powerful antioxidants. Blueberries have high amounts of fiber, vitamin C, K, Manganese, water, and small amounts of other nutrients.
A cup serving of blueberries equivalent to 148 grams contains only 84 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates.
2. Blueberries are Parked with Powerful Antioxidants
Your body contains unstable molecules known as free radicles. The radicles can damage your body cells and predispose them to rapid aging and chronic diseases such as cancer. Blueberries are considered to have the highest levels of antioxidants among fruits and vegetables. The primary antioxidant compound in blueberries is the anthocyanin. This compound is thought to be the foundation of the health benefits in blueberries. Besides, blueberries have been found to actively boost the levels of antioxidants in the body.
3. Blueberries alleviate DNA Damage Protecting the Body from Aging and Cancer
Every day, your bodies are prone to oxidative DNA damage. It is said to occur thousands of times every day and in each of the body cells. DNA damage leads to aging and may lead to numerous chronic diseases such as cancer. The antioxidants which are readily available in blueberries are effective in neutralizing some of the free radicles in the DNA.
4. They Prevent the Damage of your Body Cholesterol
Oxidation of the low-density lipoproteins, also known as bad cholesterol, can be harmful to your body. As a matter of fact, this is often the genesis of every heart disease. The powerful antioxidants in blueberries effectively reduce the levels of oxidized LDL, thus incredibly beneficial to your heart.
5. They May be Effective in Lowering Blood Pressure
Research has it that blueberries effectively control high blood pressure, a major predisposing factor for heart disease. A group of obese people with a high risk of heart disease were put in a study where they consumed two ounces of blueberry every day for eight weeks. By the end of the study, there was a notable reduction of 2-4 percent in blood pressure.
6. Blueberries Can Prevent Heart Disease
Mostly, blueberries are found to alienate risk factors rather than actual diseases. Thus, more research is being based on how blueberries can help prevent chronic cases such as heart attacks. Research has found people with a high intake of anthocyanin- the primary antioxidants in blueberries- are at lower risks of high blood pressure. However, there is no enough ground to support the efficiency of anthocyanin in alleviating these risks.
7. Blueberries can Maintain Proper Brain Functioning and Boost Memory
Oxidative stress accelerates the brain aging process, consequently affecting your brain’s functioning. To curb the situation, antioxidants in blueberries influence the part of the brain that affects your intelligence, thus rejuvenating the aging neurons. This also leads to drastic developments in cell signalling.
8. Blueberries May be Effective in Preventing Diabetes
Compared to other fruits, the sugar levels in blueberries are significantly lower. A single cup serving of 148grams of blueberry contains only 15grams of sugar. Research has it that the anthocyanin in blueberries positively impacts insulin and glucose metabolism, which helps in blood sugar control.
9. They May Help in Treating Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
Cranberries are known to be reliable in preventing UTIs. Blueberries are closely related to cranberries and thus speculated to be equally effective in alienating UTIs and related discomfort. Although blueberries have not been evaluated on their impacts on UTIs, they might be similar to their cranberry counterparts.
10. Blueberries are Known to Reduce Muscle Damage After Strenuous Exercises
After a strenuous workout, your muscles suffer soreness and fatigue, mostly due to local inflammation and muscle stress. A blueberry supplement after a work out helps in reducing the damage at the cell, which reduces soreness and improves the muscle performance.
