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Blueberries: Colorful and Mighty

  • Writer: FibonacciMD
    FibonacciMD
  • 5 hours ago
  • 4 min read

Discover the health benefits of blueberries, from heart and brain support to rich anthocyanin nutrients in every bite.

Culinary Medicine


health benefits of blueberries

For decades blueberries have topped the list of superfoods. While the term “superfood” has no scientific definition, it generally refers to a food that provides high levels of nutrients or other compounds that offer specific health benefits.[1,2] Blueberries fit the bill because they are nutrient dense and loaded with phytochemicals. They have been suggested to lower the risk of chronic disease and have been linked to improved memory and cognitive function. [3] Some, but not all, of blueberry’s benefits are linked to their blue color. 


Blueberry Beginnings         

Blueberries are native to North America where they were an important part of the indigenous diet and, in the 1600s, were quickly added to colonists’ diets. Until the early 1900s they could only be harvested from bushes growing wild in the northeastern United States and Canada. But then a curious cranberry farmer, named Elizabeth White, partnered with a botanist at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to learn how to cultivate wild berries.[4,5] Cultivation spread rapidly and by the mid-1900s, blueberries were being planted across North America. [6] Today, blueberries are a commercial crop that is grown on every continent except Antarctica.[7]


Blueberry production and sales got a boost in the early 2000s when the USDA published a list that ranked foods based on a laboratory measurement of their antioxidant capacity – blueberries were high on the list. Consumers flocked to foods with high values and food and supplement companies started using these scores to increase sales; a higher score was advertised as a healthier food.[8]  However, these laboratory values did not measure how the foods were absorbed or metabolized and therefore did not necessarily reflect a food’s antioxidant capacity or health benefit. In 2012, the USDA retracted their publication because the antioxidant values were being misused by producers to promote their products and by consumers to guide their choices. Despite this, blueberry sales continued to grow. Global production doubled between 2010 and 2019, rising to nearly one million metric tons per year.[7] Americans currently eat more than 2½ pounds of blueberries each year.[9]


The Health Benefits of Blueberries

In addition to adding a beautiful blue color to foods, blueberries are among the most nutrient-dense berries: a cup provides more than 10% of recommended intake of fiber and vitamins C and K. [10] They also provide smaller amounts of B vitamins, and vitamin E as well as iron, zinc, and copper.  All of this for about 80 Calories.  Blueberries also contain a variety of phytochemicals, most notably anthocyanins, which give them their blue color.  As the fruit ripens, the anthocyanin content rises and the color intensifies.[11] These anthocyanins help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.


The combination of nutrients and phytochemicals in blueberries has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurological decline. [11]  Blueberry, and total anthocyanin intake, promote cardiovascular health due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as by lowering blood lipid levels, enhancing vascular function, and modulating glucose metabolism. [11]  Blueberries help maintain stable blood sugar levels because they have a low glycemic index and a high fiber content. The anthocyanins in blueberries also impact diabetes risk. A higher intake is associated with reduced risk and less weight gain with aging. [11] Blueberries and their anthocyanins have been shown to inhibit the formation of cancer cells and control the progression of the disease.[12] Regular consumption of blueberries has been linked to improved memory, cognitive function, and a slower rate of age-related mental decline. [13]


Eat More Blueberries 

Blueberries are a nutrient-rich food that is high in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins. Adding them to a varied, healthy diet can help reduce the risk of chronic disease. [2] The versatility of blueberries makes them easy to include in your diet as a snack, a topping for your breakfast cereal, or a dessert. You can toss them into a smoothy, add them to yogurt, or bake them into pancakes, muffins, and pies.  You can buy them fresh in the summer and frozen or dried year-round.  It is probably best to choose wild or organic because cultivated blueberries often have high pesticide residues. [14]


More information about the health benefits of blueberries


Recipes with Blueberries


References

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