In terms of fruits with impossibly powerful health benefits, this tiny fruit takes the cake (metaphorically speaking, of course).
They’re the kind of fruit you’d love to gobble right up if you ran across them.
And chances are you will run across them since you’ll find them in just about any supermarket.
But here’s the real kicker: they are potent weapons against cholesterol, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Need I say more?
Rich in color, sweet and juicy blueberries have long been attributed to longevity and great health of subarctic indigenous natives.
Nowadays, blueberries rate among the highest known anti-oxidant value fruits.
This small but powerful berry is able to combat numerous health conditions:
1. Heart disease
A recently conducted study by researchers at Harvard school of public health revealed that regularly eating anthocyanin- abundant blueberries reduced the risk of heart attack by 33%.
Another animal study at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, revealed that atherosclerosis plaque build-up in arteries was significantly reduced in animals that were regularly fed with blueberries.
In addition, some studies have demonstrated that consuming more than one ½ cup (or 125 ml) serving of blueberries a week reduces their risk of developing high blood pressure by an impressive 20%.
2. Fights Obesity
According to an animal study by researchers from the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, rats that were fed powdered blueberries as their regular diet had way less abdominal fat, total blood fat (triglycerides) and lower cholesterol levels, compared to the rats that were not fed with blueberries.
Study investigators explain that blueberry consumption triggers genes related to fat-burning and storage.
3. Type 2 Diabetes
Myriad scientific studies have proven an impressive anti-diabetic effect of a blueberry-rich diet.
A recent study, however, conducted by scientists of Pennington Biomedical Research center at Louisiana State University, brought into light that daily consumption of blueberries drastically reduced the risks for type 2 diabetes.
Blueberries contain important bioactive substances that help improve insulin sensitivity, an essential factor for type 2 Diabetes prevention.
4. Brain decline
An impressive amount of evidence has been mounting in the last decade supporting the amazingly beneficial effects of blueberries in the diet on brain aging.
Tufts University researchers report that a regular consumption of this magical berry reverses short-term memory loss and improves motor skills.
Anthocyanins found in blueberries are shown to improve neural signaling in brain centers.
According to the researchers, this tiny berry shows promising results when fighting degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
5. Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is characterized as a combination of health disorders including high cholesterol, blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance and obesity.
Metabolic syndrome is responsible for increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart attack and type 2 diabetes.
Researchers from North Carolina State University discovered that phytochemicals found in blueberries improved hyperglycemia, a condition related to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Believe it or not, the list of blueberry’s magical health powers goes on.
• The berry does wonders to improve vision health and tired eyes.
• Blueberries contain powerful compounds that prevent urinary tract infections.
• Regular consumption of blueberries drastically improves gut health by promoting good bacteria.
• A great amount of research showed that chemicals found in wild blueberries are able to inhibit and prevent the growth of cancer cells, even the particularly aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).
• Due to an impressive amount of antioxidants, there is no better way to fight the disease and improve the immune system than a handful of blueberries every day.
The great news is that these berries are not just impressively healthy, but also incredibly delicious!
It is great if you can enjoy fresh blueberries from a market or even a handful of freshly picked ones from a forest next to you.
However, there are many other forms of blueberries you can reap the benefits from.
You could get them frozen, dried or even in supplement form at your local health food or drug store.
Remember, when buying a supplement, always look for a trusted brand and read the ingredient list carefully.