4 Health benefits of blueberries
Considered by many as a superfood, dried blueberries are perfect for cereals, yogurts, cakes, muffins, salads or just for snacking on.
Fresh or dried, blueberries are packed with antioxidants. A study published in The Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology looked at the effects that freezing and drying had on antioxidants in fresh blueberries. The researchers measured and compared their antioxidant activity and found no significant differences between the fresh, dried and frozen berries. [1]
Blueberries are healthy and tasty. You can enjoy them in many ways: snack on them, use them in baking, toss over salads or add to your pancakes. Don’t forget to put dried blueberries to your morning oatmeal to start your day with a boost of antioxidants.
Blueberries are a dietary source of anthocyanins, other polyphenols and various phytochemicals that are widely studied for their antioxidant activity. Anthocyanins are pigments that give dark blue colour to the berries. They belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids known for their numerous health benefits:
1. Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation has been implicated as a possible origin of numerous diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes mellitus, and others. Many studies indicate that flavonoids may affect anti-inflammatory mechanisms due to their antioxidant properties. Flavonoids may also inhibit enzymes responsible for free radical production.
2. Cancer-preventive
Clinical studies investigating the relationship between flavonoid consumption and cancer prevention/development suggest that Dietary flavonoid intake is associated with reduced gastric carcinoma risk in women [2] and reduced smoking-related cancers [3].
3. Heart-healthy
The dietary effects of flavonoids on cardiovascular diseases are the most intensively studied area of general human disorders. Many researchers suggest that flavonoids reduce risk of atherosclerosis and arterial blood pressure, lower “bad” cholesterol levels in blood, modify vascular inflammatory mechanisms, regulate carbohydrate and glucose metabolism, and modify mechanisms of aging.
4. Antibacterial
Flavonoids have been shown to have direct antibacterial activity, synergistic activity with antibiotics, and the ability to suppress bacterial virulence factors in numerous in vitro and a limited number of in vivo studies.
Blueberries are healthy and tasty. You can enjoy them in many ways: snack on them, use them in baking, toss over salads or add to your pancakes. Don’t forget to put blueberries to your morning oatmeal to start your day with a boost of antioxidants.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15577185
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hel.12082
- http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0075604
