7 Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries are absolutely one of my favorite foods to eat. I try to eat them as often as possible and just love them in my morning Blueberry Superfood shake that make with my Ninja blender. 
Native to North America, blueberries are rich in proanthocyanin, the natural antioxidant that has been proven to fight cancer, lose weight and give you glowing young skin.
Natural medicine has long held that these round purple berries give long-life and health benefits that far exceed their tiny size.

Blueberry Nutrition Facts

Blueberries are one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world and contains large levels and a broad range of antioxidants. The ORAC score of blueberries is an incredible 9,621 which makes it one of the highest antioxidant foods in the world. Consuming just one cup of blueberries will provide you with the following nutrients:

• Resveratrol
• Gallic acid
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin
• Vitamin K (36%)
• Vitamin C (25%)
• Manganese (25%)
• Fiber (5g 17%)

Blueberries Research on Gallic Acid

Of all the nutritional components of the blueberry, gallic acid stands out for a couple reasons. One, most people have never heard of it and it is definitely worthy of mention.
Second, it has been thoroughly researched. So it’s safe to assume that the health claims laid out here are anything but “experimental!”
Third, as the research indicates, gallic acid is a powerful anti-fungal / anti-viral agent and is an extremely effective antioxidant.
This combination makes gallic acid rich foods like blueberries a natural medicine powerhouse not to be reckoned with!

Top 7 Health Benefits of Blueberries

After learning about the nutritional facts of blueberries, I’m sure you can see how challenging it was to narrow down the Top Health Benefits to just seven. But after some extensive research, I feel pretty confident that this list does the mighty purple fruit justice!
1. Anti-aging – Antioxidants are your best friend to keep Father Time at bay. They help reverse damage done by toxins and free radicals and help your body defend itself against dangerous pathogens.
Not only are blueberries rich in antioxidants as a whole, they are especially rich in proanthocyanidins, which have been observed to have additional anti-aging properties in several animal studies.
Much of the research has linked this to the ability of proanthocyanidins to reverse inflammation, the #1 of chronic disease in the world. Inflammation taxes the body like no other and causes heart disease, diabetes, cancer and almost every illness known to man.
2. Brain – Because they contain such a high amount of phenols, particularly gallic acid, blueberries are known as “neuro-protective agents.” According to researchers from Iran, this means that they can literally protect our brains from degeneration, neurotoxicity and oxidative stress.
You may be interesting to know that some other foods that are high in gallic acid and are known for their brain power are:

• Blackberries
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts
• Mangos
• Plums
• Strawberries
• Green Tea
• Red Wine

Another study found that consuming more blueberries slowed cognitive decline and improved memory and motor function. The scientists in this study believed these results were due to the antioxidants in blueberries protective the body from oxidative stress and reducing inflammation.
3. Cancer – Clinical studies have even discovered that, unlike radiation and chemotherapy strategies, gallic acid rich foods like blueberries can kill cancer without harming healthy cells!
Just this past May, for instance, the Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology published a study evaluating the anticancer effects gallic acid has on breast cancer cells. Like countless studies before, researchers discovered that blueberries and gallic acid slow and even destroys breast cancer.
Blueberry benefits cancer primarily because it’s wide range of antioxidants with gallic acid being the primary and resveratrol also offering support.
4. Digestion – Being a natural source of soluble and insoluble fiber, blueberries can help regulate your gastrointestinal track by just eating a couple handfuls a day.
In fact, a University of Maine researcher Vivian Chi-Hua Wu states that, “Addition of wild blueberries to diet can alter the balance of gut microbe in favor of members of the Actinobacteria phylum.” Wu and her team discovered that wild blueberries have pre-biotic potential, which promotes growth of good bacteria (probiotics) in the colon and promotes digestive and health benefit.
5. Heart Health – The journal Circulation recently published a study showing that eating strawberries and blueberries together has a superpower tag-team effect that actually decreases your risk of heart attack by up to 33%.
After conducting research with more than 93,000 women 25 to 42 years of age, they did not observe this type of benefit in other types of antioxidants that were studied. Blueberry health benefits have also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, raise HDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
6. Skin – Blueberry extract skin care products are becoming very popular around the world. It has been reported that the wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals help restore hormone balance, which counteracts acne.
Also, blueberries contain resveratrol which has been proven to reduce damage from over-sun exposure and can naturally darken your skin. Along with blueberry skin benefits, they have also been shown to heal macular degeneration and improve vision.
7. Weight Loss – Being low in calories, low on the glycemic index and high in fiber, everyone has at three reasons to eat blueberries to lose weight! According to the Mayo Clinic:
Because low glycemic index foods are absorbed more slowly, they stay in your digestive tract longer. This is why these foods are sometimes called slow carbs. These foods may help control appetite and delay hunger cues, which can help with weight management. Balanced blood sugar also can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance.

Healthy Blueberry Recipes

To preserve their nutritional content, make every effort to eat blueberries in their fresh, natural form. This isn’t to say, however, that making some my favorite pumpkin blueberry pancakes is unhealthy for you. I just want to stress the importance of implementing more anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables to fight cancer and to slow aging.
One of my favorite raw blueberry recipes is blueberry pudding made with coconut milk and probiotic-rich kefir!
Blueberry Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
· 1 cup coconut milk
· 1 cup kefir
· 3 avocados
· 1 cup blueberries
· 4 tbsp ground chia seed
· 1/2 tsp sea salt
· 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
· 1 drop peppermint oil extract
· 1 tbsp raw honey
Directions
1. Blend all ingredients together in a high powered blender.
2. Refrigerate for 4 hours.