the foods you choose to eat really can help you reclaim health!

Blueberries - The Perfect Antioxidant!

Sweet and low-calorie blueberries have become a very popular sale item in most markets ever since the term antioxidant has entered the health food vocabulary.

Dietary Fiber: 1 cup = 3.6 grams

These deep blue fruits not only have dietary fiber, each berry holds the vitamins and minerals that make a very nutritious food. And, according to a project completed at Tufts University's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, this fruit belongs at the top of the list for excellent antioxidant stimulation.

Our bodies rely on antioxidant activity to repair the cell damage that free radicals cause during the natural oxidative processes that happen. Foods that stimulate antioxidants health benefits help our bodies maintain our good health.

Berries are very high in the flavonoid compounds that stimulate antioxidant activity in the body. But additional polyphenol antioxidant compounds continue to be identified in these deep blue fruits, too.

And that means even more significant health benefits for all of us. Already research credits the blueberry with helping to improve brain function, the flow of blood platelets, vessel elasticity, and collagen production in skin cells. All benefits that help protect us from disease and the aging process.

Nutrients

Polyphenol flavonoids: anthocyanins, ellagic acid, quercetin, catechins
Carotenoids
Fiber
Folate
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Potassium
Mangese
Magnesium
Iron
Roboflavin
Niacin
Phytoestrogens

Benefits

Short Term Memory - Maggie Greenwood-Robinson's book 20/20 Thinking says that berries are effective in improving short term memory.
Preventing damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA, and encouraging new cell creation (USDA study at Tufts University)
Motor Skills, Coordination, and Balance (Tufts University)
Skin Elasticity - promotes collagen fibers (Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, Germany)
Heart Disease - relaxes muscle cells in blood vessels, improving blood flow (vasodilation)
Reduces risk of blood clots by making platelets less sticky.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Archives of Ophthalmology reports that 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk.
Urinary Tract
Constipation
Diarrhea
Cancer - Phenolic compounds can inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry).

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References:
Nutrient Data Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service (USDA)
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, at Tufts University
20/20 Thinking written by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson
Journal Of The American Dietetic Association

Nutrition based on data assembled from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
g=grams, mg=milligrams, mcg=micrograms, kcal=calories