The Health Benefits of Eating Blueberries

Eat blueberries. It’s that simple.

I’m a big advocate of an overall healthy diet. Eating more whole grains, vegetables and fruits in general pays off more than narrowing your diet to specific ‘superfoods’. Here’s why I’m a fan of these little blue gems of goodness as part of your healthy diet.

Busy? Perfect. Grab Some Blueberries.

Your day is packed and you’re looking for the quickest way to eat healthy. I suggest blueberries.

1. For a 3-minute breakfast, blend some blueberries with non-dairy milk and some cooked oatmeal. No coring, no peeling – just push a button and enjoy.

2. Blueberries freeze well. In February when almost no fruits are in season, frozen blueberries are my favourite way to add fruit to my diet. Grab a bag of frozen berries. Better yet, freeze multiple bags of them this summer and you’ll have breakfast and dessert all year.

3. Add blueberries to your yogurt, cereal, or berry bars. Again, no coring, no peeling, no fuss.

4. Need a quick snack? Grab some blueberries and some nuts on your way out. You’re set.

3 Reasons You Should Be Eating More Blueberries

In addition to how tasty they are, here are my top reasons for eating blueberries.

1. Stay young at heart

Harvard scientists who studied 93,600 women found that those who ate the most blueberries had a 34% lower chance of suffering heart attacks than women who ate the least blueberries. The eating habits of these women were tracked over 18 years. The results are likely applicable to men too.

We’re not sure why blueberries are so heart-friendly. Our best guess is their high levels of anthocyanins lowers blood pressure. However, stick to blueberries rather than anthocyanin supplements – the interaction between anthocyanins and the other nutrients in blueberries are likely to be more important than just the presence of anthocyanins.

We do need to eat a certain amount of blueberries for the health benefits. Aim for half a cup of blueberries on a daily basis.

2. Reduce your pain

The antioxidants in blueberries are champion pain fighters. They deactivate free radicals, reduce inflammation, and reduce pain. Current research shows that blueberries contain more antioxidants than most other fruit.

We hear a lot of confusing information about antioxidants so let’s straighten out the mess. Antioxidants are molecules that deactivate free radicals and make them harmless. Free radicals are high-energy particles, kind of like little out-of-control bumper cars zipping around our system and damaging our cells. Free radicals are not necessarily bad – we do need them for healing. However, excess free radicals cause too much inflammation and can lead to chronic pain. Antioxidants keep them in check.

3. Give Alzheimer’s the boot

Blueberries are a good bet for your brain. USDA neuroscientists found that blueberries may slow the loss of mental capacity and even reverse neural deficits caused by age. Blueberries can even improve memory, spatial learning and the ability to learn about your environment. Handy for when you need to pack a suitcase or remember the route you take to work.