Blueberries – Super Fruit Or Hype?

Some individuals have always contended that some fruits, nuts or vegetables are super foods. This is a controversial subject, but it must be true that some foodstuffs are better for you than others, but whether it is justifiable to hype up a foodstuff for a quick sale is another topic. Blueberries are a case in point. Are blueberries a super fruit or not?

Advocates of blueberries say that they are rich in antioxidants and that they are able to improve vision and reduce eye strain; enhance brain and memory functions and combat urinary tract infections (UTI’s). Blueberries are said to be rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins, but what are they?

Well, antioxidants are said to counteract the effects of oxidation and free radicals, which are often associated with the occurrence of cancer and anthocyanins are a form of flavonoids, which are also an anti-carcinogen.

Blueberries are also in the bottom category of the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index employs white bread as the marker against which every foodstuff is calculated. Above 70 is thought to be high; between 56 and 59 is medium and below 55 is low. Blueberries, at 53, is at the high end of low. This is not vital information for lots of individuals, but it is vital for dieters and diabetics.

Blueberries are said to improve eyesight because of the anthocyanins, which reinforce the capillaries, which would assist the flow of blood to the eyes, which may help conserve vision. This would improve eye strain or eye tiredness

If this assists preserve vision, it would also delay hair loss, because hair loss is normally associated with a lack of blood/nutrition to the hair follicles which then simply die of starvation, as in male pattern baldness.

Blueberries are a fruit high in flavonoids which are antioxidants as stated above. Some individuals claim that flavonoids can improve the connections between neurons in the brain, which would probably increase mental capacity.

It might also slow down the deterioration of brain cells and so also the traditionally-perceived degeneration in mental capacity that is associated with increasing age. If this is the case, then the consumption of blueberries would also help slow down the advance of lack of motor control: that is, it could help the elderly move more naturally, less inelegantly.

However, the same people will admit that to make a 5-6% improvement in motor skills would probably take a daily consumption of around 100 grammes per day, which is naturally not an insignificant amount, even if you like them and grow them yourself.

It has also been stated that the daily consumption of blueberries reduces the quantity of LDL in the blood, which is popularly called ‘bad cholesterol’.

If you would like to test the effects of eating blueberries on yourself, here are a few suggestions on how you can incorporate them into your diet.

Fresh blueberries: eat while in season but freeze as much as you can get hold of.

Frozen blueberries: cook in pancakes, muffins and put in home-made ice-cream.

Dried blueberries: eat like raisins as a snack or coat in chocolate.

In this manner, you will be able to resolve the question for yourself : blueberries are they a super fruit?

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on many subjects, but is currently concerned with French dip sandwich recipes. If you want to know more or check out some special offers, please go to our website at Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes.