How come some the name of the best fruit out there contains the ending ‘berries’? Blueberries are no exception. The health benefits of blueberries are truly great whether you add them in pancakes, shakes or fruit salads.

So let’s take a look at the many health benefits that blueberries possess and don’t be shy in letting us know if they worked for you as well.

What Are the Main Health Benefits of Blueberries?

1. Body Antioxidants

The whole range of antioxidant blueberries health benefits can be seen in every body system. Studies have shown that blueberries offer special protection from oxidative stress, being extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system. Damaged muscles from exercises can be repaired fairly better through the consumption of such fruit as well. Moreover, the antioxidant protection of blood sugar is another result of blueberry intake. So, blueberries are amazing antioxidant fruit due to their protective attributes, having a great impact on almost all body functions.

2. Cardiovascular Benefits

Another amazing feature of this wonder fruit is its powerful health benefit it has as regards the cardiovascular system. It has been proven that frequent consumption of blueberries improve blood fat balances. This includes the reduction of cholesterol, raising HDL cholesterol and lowering of triglycerides. Blood components are also seen to be better protected by the daily intake of at least 1-2 cups of blueberries. According to medical research, blueberries have the remarkable ability to prevent the clogging of blood vessels from oxygen damage as well as to offer better protection for cells lining the blood vessel walls.

Blueberries health benefits have also been seen in regards to blood pressure. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures appeared to be reduced through the intake of blueberries. At the same time, this wonderful fruit also maintains healthy blood pressure in individuals.

3. Cognitive Benefits

A world-wide health problem packed together with aging is the memory issue. An interesting study showed that elder adults (with an average age of 76 years old), slowed down cognitive problems and also improved memory. Participants consumed between 2 and 2 and a half cups per day, in the form of juice.

This result came to be most likely due to nerve cell protection from oxygen damage by the vast array of antioxidant nutrients. The natural high risk of oxygen damage that nerve cells have can be found throughout a person’s life. That is why the ability to send information throughout the body depends on the presence of balanced oxygen metabolism, which is in turn related to antioxidant nutrients. Therefore blueberries possess the wonderful capability of helping us maintain smooth working nerve cells and healthy cognitive functions by lowering the risk of oxidative stress.

4. Blood Sugar Benefits

Blood sugar balance can be a tricky matter, especially for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. People diagnosed with obesity also face this challenging matter. In other words, they have a hard time maintaining a blood sugar balance, preventing it from spiking too high or dropping too low. Research on the health benefits of blueberries in respect to blood sugar showed consistently that they have a regulatory influence.

Due to the fact that they have a glycemic index (GI) somewhere between 40 and 53 and contain very good amounts of fiber, this fruit is very beneficial in regulating blood sugar levels. Food with low glycemic index are considered to be below the range of 50. Results can be seen in less than 3 months after a person starts consuming this fruit.

5. Eye Health

Another amazing blueberry health benefit is that it helps keep our retina to remain less susceptible to oxidative stress. This is due largely to the unique phytonutrient antioxidants that are found in this fruit. Basically it helps protect the retina from oxygen damage. Furthermore, it aids in preventing sunlight damage. To be more specific, the anthocyanins are responsible for protecting the retina.

6. Anti-cancer benefits

Blueberries health benefits also extend to cancer prevention. Studies on animals have shown that blueberries can prevent a large array of cancer diseases. The types of cancer which have been studied are breast, colon, esophageal and small-intestine cancer.

Types of Blueberries

Most species of blueberries are native to North America. Highbush blueberries were first introduced in the 1930s in countries such as Germany, Sweden and Netherlands. From there they expanded to other countries in Europe such as Romania, Italy, Hungary and Latvia.

The North-Eastern part of Turkey is famous for growing different strains of blueberries. Countries from the Southern Hemisphere such as Chile and Argentina, however, are nowadays large exporters of blueberries.

Blueberries are part of the Ericaceae family whose members also include cranberry, bilberry and so on. Alongside being part of the Ericaceae family, they are also part of the Vaccinium genus. From here it is divided into three segments:

1. Highbush Blueberries – The most common and widely-know form of blueberries, we usually find them in grocery stores. In their wild form they can grow up to 12 feet, or between 4-7 feet in special farms.
2. Lowbush Blueberries – We usually refer to this group as “wild blueberries”. They usually grow less than 2 feet in height and are not commonly found in stores.
3. Rabbiteye Blueberries – Native to the Southern U.S.A., they can grow up to 20 feet in height. Not that frequently cultivated as compared to highbush blueberries, they can however grow higher in special farms than its highbush counterpart, ranging from 4 to 10 feet.

To recap, the health benefits of blueberries are quite vast. Individuals benefit from their low-glycemic index, while they offer a high antioxidant level, have a high fiber content and are also anti-depressants. Blueberries also contain Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E and K. Manganese is also found in this fruit, which has the role of maintaining a healthy metabolism due to its antioxidant levels.

So there you have it, the blueberries health benefits. We hope you enjoyed this post. For any questions or comments you may have, please leave us your feedback and remember to stay healthy!