Blueberries are a superfood that can do wonders for your health. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which support your body in countless ways. Plus, they’re sweet, juicy and contain just 84 calories per cup. This takes a detailed look at five of the main ways blueberries boost your health.
Benefit 1 – Strong Vision
Blueberries are rich in a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins. Studies have shown that these anthocyanins can protect against age related macular degeneration by as much as 36%.
In addition to this, blueberries contain an extremely high concentration of antioxidant nutrients. These antioxidants protect the retina of the eye against free radicals (harmful by-products that get released when the body uses oxygen) and in doing this, help to maintain healthy vision.
Benefit 2 – Weight Loss
At just 84 calories per cup, blueberries are the perfect weight loss food and you can enjoy them guilt free without worrying about the impact they’ll have on your waistline. Blueberries are also loaded with fiber which has a satiating effect, keeps you feeling fuller for longer and makes you less likely to over eat. Finally, research has revealed that the anthocyanins in blueberries stimulate the breakdown of fat in the body and help you maintain a leaner physique.
Benefit 3 – Strong Bones
Blueberries are an excellent source of manganese – an essential nutrient that promotes strong, healthy bone development in the body. The bone boosting properties of blueberries were highlighted in a 2010 study where a group of animals that were fed rations including blueberry powder developed significantly more bone mass than a group of animals who were fed rations with no blueberry powder.
Benefit 4 – Healthy Brain
Another brilliant benefit of the anthocyanins in blueberries is that they keep your brain healthy. Research into these powerful nutrients has shown that they enhance learning and improve memory. In a 12 week study where older adults consumed blueberries daily, the participants improved their scores on both cognitive function tests and memory tests.
Benefit 5 – Cancer Prevention
One final benefit of blueberries is that they lower your cancer risk. The antioxidant nutrients in blueberries protect your body’s cells against the DNA damage that often leads to the development of cancer. In addition to this, the fiber in blueberries helps remove waste materials from your body, keeps your digestive tract healthy and in doing this, prevents the onset of colon cancer.
Summary
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy blueberries regularly. So if you want to strengthen your body, protect against disease and more, make sure you’re consuming these powerful fruits a few times each week.
