Why blueberries are called a “superfood”.
In recent years, people across the world have begun to refer to blueberries as one of nature’s “superfood”. Why? It seems that every day, you can find a new article touting the healthy benefits of blueberries. These benefits include fighting off cancer and helping with heart, brain, vision, blood pressure, memory loss, and even weight control.
Native to North America, this delicious berry has evolved to be a favorite fruit across the globe. One of the unique health characteristics of blueberries is the unusually high amount of antioxidants it contains. It has more in one serving than all other fruits, vegetables, spices and seasonings. The powerful antioxidants combat dangerous free radicals in the body, which are responsible for damaging cells and causing cancer and diseases to the liver and heart.
Another powerful health benefit of blueberries is its high level of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients aren’t minerals or vitamins, but they do help cells in the body communicate efficiently and inhibit cellular mutations that can lead to cancer.
Blueberries contain yet more powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, which are responsible for a blueberry’s rich blue color. It is beneficial to people with Type II diabetes. One study found that consuming a couple of servings each day lowered the risk of getting diabetes by more than 20%.
One prevalent concern these days is memory loss from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Several studies have shown that consumption of blueberries helps slow and even reverse memory loss.
There are even more antioxidants in blueberries called catechins that are helpful for losing weight. They activate genes that burn fat, and eating foods with catechins can actually double total weight loss. They can potentially even reduce belly fat.
Aside from everything mentioned so far, blueberries are a very complete nutritional food with their vitamins A, B, C, & E, and several minerals that include iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, potassium, and manganese.
Read more:
