BLUEBERRIES: importance and benefits

Importance:

Blueberries not only make a great snack but are a healthy addition to most people’s diet. These small fruits pack a powerful antioxidant punch, help lower blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity. They are sweet, nutritious, and wildly popular. Often labeled a superfood, they are low in calories and incredibly good for you. They’re so tasty and convenient that many people consider them their favorite fruit.

Blueberries can help heart health, bone strength, skin health, blood pressure, diabetes management, cancer prevention, and mental health. One cup of blueberries provides 24 percent of a person recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

Benefits:

Here we present you 10 benefits of this powerful food

1. Blueberries Are Low in Calories but High in Nutrients: Blueberries are an incredible source of nutrients. In one cup of blueberries, there is:

• • Calories: 85
  • Fiber:6 grams (13% DV). Fiber improves gut health, lowers cholesterol, and controls blood sugar levels.
  • Potassium: 116 milligrams (3% DV). Potassium regulates your heartbeat, metabolize carbohydrates, and maintain proper muscle function.
  • Vitamin K: 29 micrograms (24% DV). Vitamin K creates proteins needed for blood clotting.
  • Vitamin C:6 milligrams (5% DV). Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your body absorb iron
  • Folate: 9 micrograms (2% DV). Folate forms red blood cells, which help the body receive oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

2. Blueberries are the King of Antioxidant Foods: If you’re looking to increase your antioxidant intake, blueberries have you covered. Antioxidants help to minimize inflammation which, in turn, reduces damage to cells.
3. Preventing cancer: Vitamin C, vitamin A, and the various phytonutrients in blueberries function as powerful antioxidants that may help protect cells against damage from disease-linked free radicals.
4. Blueberries Protect Cholesterol in Your Blood from Becoming Damaged: Blueberries can also lower LDL cholesterol levels — the bad form of cholesterol which can clog arteries. Blueberries contain phytosterols, a compound that can lower LDL levels. A 2017 review noted consuming about two grams of phytosterols a day has shown an 8% to 10% reduction in LDL levels in healthy adults.
5. Blueberries May Lower Blood Pressure: When eaten consistently, blueberries have been shown to help reduce blood pressure. In a small 2019 study, consuming a drink containing 200 grams of blueberries for one month reduced participants’ blood pressure by 5 mmHg.
6. Blueberries May Help Prevent Heart Disease: The fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and phytonutrient content in blueberries supports heart health. The absence of cholesterol from blueberries is also beneficial to the heart. Fiber content helps to reduce the total amount of cholesterol in the blood and decrease the risk of heart disease.
7. Blueberries Can Help Maintain Brain Function and Improve Memory: Cognitive functioning refers to mental activities, such as thinking, learning, and remembering. More research is needed to understand how blueberries can limit cognitive decline, but some studies suggest they can help.
8. Anthocyanins in Blueberries May Have Anti-Diabetes Effects: Blueberries provide moderate amounts of sugar compared to other fruits. Research suggests that anthocyanins in blueberries have beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. These anti-diabetes effects occur with both blueberry juice and extract
9. May Help Fight Urinary Tract Infections: It is widely known that cranberry juice can help prevent these types of infections. Because blueberries are closely related to cranberries, they boast many of the same active substances as cranberry juice (31Trusted Source). These substances are called anti-adhesives and help prevent bacteria like E. coli from binding to the wall of your bladder. Blueberries have rarely been studied for their impact on UTIs, but they likely have similar effects as cranberries
10. Blueberries May Reduce Muscle Damage After Strenuous Exercise: Blueberry supplements may lessen the damage that occurs at a molecular level, minimizing soreness and reduced muscle performance.