Blueberries contain great nutritional benefits in a small package. These powerful berries evoke the flavor of summer, but they deserve a place in your diet year-round.
You are more likely to eat blueberries than other fruits because they are easy to prepare: no need to peel or slice them (just rinse them with water). This type of accessibility plays an important role in helping you maintain a healthy diet, since you are more likely to eat quick and easy to prepare nutritious food.
Additionally, they provide a rich blend of nutrients that can benefit your heart health, regulate blood sugar, improve your skin, and preserve cognitive function. Its abundance of antioxidants and fiber can play a role in preventing a number of diseases, making cranberry a tasty and affordable part of a healthy diet.
Nutritional information of blueberries
A cup equals a single serving and contains:
- Calories: 84
- Total fat: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 1.5 mg.
- Total carbohydrates: 21.4 g
- Dietary fiber: 3.6 g
- Sugar: 14.7 g
- Added sugar: 0 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
Macronutrients
- Total Fat : One cup of blueberries has 0.5 grams of total fat, which includes 0.2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.07 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, and 0 grams of trans fat.
- Carbohydrates : One cup of blueberries has 21.4 grams of carbohydrates, which include 3.6 grams of fiber and 14.7 grams of natural sugars.
- Protein: A cup of blueberries has 1.1 grams of protein.
Vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients
- Vitamin K: 24% of your recommended daily value (DV)
- Manganese: 22% DV
- Vitamin C: 16% DV
- Copper: 9% DV
- Vitamin E: 6% DV
What benefits do they bring to health?
Blueberries are part of a healthy diet and can benefit glucose levels in the heart, skin, brain, and blood. They are packed with powerful antioxidants that can reduce the risk of disease and are also a good source of fiber and other important nutrients like vitamin C.
Are linked to better heart health
Many of the health benefits that blueberries provide, including its heart health benefits, can be attributed, at least partially, to its phytonutrients, plant compounds that have antioxidant effects. A great class of phytonutrients are flavonoids, which include anthocyanins. These are protective compounds that give blueberries their rich blue hue.
One cup of blueberries a day improved heart function and arterial stiffness and was linked to a 12 to 15 percent lower risk of heart disease in overweight and obese people (ages 50-75) with metabolic syndrome in a study published in May 2019.
The fiber in blueberries can also contribute to heart health. Blueberries contain 3.6 grams of fiber per serving, or 14 percent of your daily value, and are certified heart-healthy by the American Heart Association.
Certified foods must be a good source (provide at least 10 percent of the daily value per serving) of one or more of these six nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, and dietary fiber.
A high fiber diet is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk and, in general, we know that diets high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables such as blueberries tend to be associated with a lower risk of inflammation and chronic disease.
They can benefit your skin
Several of the antioxidants can help protect your skin from oxidative damage that speeds up the aging process. Blueberries have many essential nutrients for skin health, with vitamin C as the primary player.
Vitamin C supports the production of collagen, a structural protein that gives the skin its elasticity. With age, the vitamin C content in your skin and your body's collagen production naturally decreases. This decrease in collagen can contribute to wrinkles and also cause health problems like weakening muscles or osteoarthritis due to worn cartilage.
Aside from aging, too little collagen in the body is most often caused by a poor diet. Blueberries also provide copper and zinc , two additional nutrients necessary for collagen production.
They are a healthy food for the brain
Blueberries are specifically targeted in the MIND Diet (Mediterranean Intervention-DASH for Neurodegenerative Delay), a eating plan based on the results of more than 20 years of data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) intended to help reduce the risk of deteriorating brain health and the development of Alzheimer's disease.
The MIND diet encourages two or more servings of berries a week and specifies that blueberries can be particularly beneficial, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The phytonutrients in blueberries can help with cognitive health and brain function by protecting brain cells from stress and inflammation.
Higher dietary intake of blueberries and strawberries was associated with slower rates of cognitive decline in older women in a July 2012 study published in Annals of Neurology, an effect that researchers owe to flavonoids in berries. It was also associated with delaying memory impairment by up to 2.5 years. Berry-derived anthocyanidins, flavonoids that are counterparts of anthocyanin, are able to cross the blood-brain barrier to accumulate in areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory, such as the hippocampus, the study researchers note.
Benefit blood glucose levels
Blueberries don't have a lot of sugar, but they do have a lot of flavor. The glycemic index measures the impact of carbohydrate foods on blood sugar levels, and foods with a low GI number (considered 55 or less) can raise blood glucose levels more slowly than those with a GI number medium or high. Blueberries have a glycemic index of 53, which is considered low .
Eating foods less likely to cause large increases in blood sugar levels can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight , eat healthier meals, and maintain blood sugar levels as part of a diabetes plan.
Eating certain whole fruits, particularly blueberries, was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in an August 2013 study, published in the British Medical Journal.
Frozen blueberries are a popular and healthy choice for smoothies, but if you look at your blood sugar levels, it is also worth incorporating whole blueberries into your diet.
Are there dangers when consuming them?
Allergies
A food allergy is a reaction of the immune system of a certain food that can cause symptoms such as hives, inflamed airways or even life-threatening anaphylaxis. It affects up to 3 percent of adults.
Although blueberry allergy is rare, it has been reported and can cause anaphylaxis like other food allergies. Talk to an allergist to determine your risk: If you have a food allergy, you may need to carry epinephrine with you at all times in case of a severe reaction.
Drug interactions
No pharmacological interactions are currently known. Be sure to discuss any interactions between medications and food with your GP.
Blueberry preparation and useful tips
You can usually find fresh or frozen blueberries in supermarkets year-round, but they're in season from late spring through late summer. Follow these tips to buy, wash, and store blueberries.
Check the package
Look for firm, full-color blueberries that aren't bruised or oozing. Make sure to turn the package over to check the ones at the bottom and for mold.
Store them in the fridge
Cover and refrigerate the blueberries when you get home. It is better to wait to wash them when you are going to consume them so that they stay fresh for several days.
Wash them properly
Even if you buy organic blueberries, it is important to wash all products before eating them. Products can be contaminated in various ways before reaching your plate, including animals, harmful substances in the soil and water, or poor hygiene by handlers. The product passes through many hands after being harvested, which increases the risk of contamination.
Wash your hands
For 20 seconds with warm soapy water before and after handling fresh produce. Gently rub the blueberries while holding them under running water (no soap or bleach required), then pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel to further remove stubborn bacteria.
