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12 Awesome Health Benefits of One Tasty Fruit (#10 is the Best)
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There are many different types of fruit in this world, and they are all sweet, tasty, and have a great deal to offer us health wise. But this one fruit is not only sweet and nutritious, but it is so full of healthy goodness that they are often labeled as #1 on lists of super foods.
They may be small but they pack a powerful punch that cannot be beat. Many people consider them their favorite fruit and keep some frozen so they can always have some whenever they like.
What is this super nutritious fruit that beats all the others hands down?
Blueberries!
That’s’ right, no matter how you eat them: fresh, frozen, cooked, baked, or stewed, blueberries are just too good to pass up. Not to mention all the healthy things that are packed away in that tiny little blue bubble.
Want to know exactly what you are getting when you put those blueberries in your yogurt? Let’s take a look at the top 12 proven health benefits of the world’s favorite fruit; blueberries!
1. Bountiful Brain Protection
Blueberries contain a group of plant nutrients called proanthocyanidins which are unique in their ability to protect both the fatty and watery parts of our brains from damage that can be caused by environmental toxins. In one study done with animals, those that were given a blueberry extract performed better on memory tests and had less decline in their motor skills then when compared to a group that did not eat blueberries (poor guys!). The powerful phytonutirents in blueberries can protect the brain from age related motor skill decline and memory loss. No one wants their old noggin to start shrinking so go grab a handful of blueberries out of the freezer right now, then keep reading.
2. Low in Calories/High in Nutrients
These delectable little berries come to us from a flowering shrub which produces berries that range in shades from a dark blue to a reddish purple. We call these blueberries. They are related to other shrubs that give us boysenberries and cranberries. Blueberries start out life green as a blade of grass but when they are ripe they turn to their familiar blue color.
There are actually two types of blueberries: highbush and lowbush. Highbush are the most common type and the ones used for production here in America and lowbush, which are wild blueberries. Wild blueberries might be smaller than the ones you see at the store, but they are actually richer in some antioxidants, if you can believe that! If you happen to go hiking or camping and see wild blueberries, don’t pass them by!
Blueberries are the most nutrient dense berries on the planet. One cup of blueberries has 4 gram of fiber, 24 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, 36 percent of vitamin K, 25 percent of manganese, 15 grams of carbs, and all for a skinny little 84 calories!
3. Natural Fat Burner
You have heard mention that some foods will help the body burn fat and blueberries are one of those, however, there is one difference. The catechins found in blueberries activate genes in the body that burn abdominal fat. If you are having trouble losing that spare tire, you need to stock up on these little blue fruity diamonds. Tufts University conducted a research study which showed that those who regularly consume blueberry catechins increased their abdominal fat loss by an astounding 77 percent! They also doubled their total weight loss when compared to those who did not eat blueberries or other catechins. Say yes to another serving of blueberries and a new bikini!
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Credit: www.blueberrycouncil.org
4. Fights Heart Disease
Heart disease is still the #1 killer in the world. One way that heart disease gets started is when oxidative damage occurs to the LDL (the bad type) cholesterol in the blood. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is one of the main freeways on the road to heart disease! Mother Nature gave us an off-ramp, however; blueberries. Studies show that eating 50grams of blueberries each day lowered the oxidation of LDL cholesterol by 27 percent after just 8 weeks. Another study showed that eating 75 grams of blueberries with a meal also significantly reduced the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Fight back against heart disease and dig into that bag of frozen blueberries you have in the freezer!
5. Reduces Muscle Damage after Exercise
Everyone knows that strenuous exercise can lead to muscle fatigue and soreness. This is due to oxidative stress in the muscle along with inflammation. Blueberries can reduce this damage that occurs at a molecular level, which can minimize muscle soreness and the amount of time needed to recover. One study showed that when female athletes consumed blueberries before strenuous leg exercises, they had accelerated muscle recovery when compared to the control group that did not receive blueberries. (A moment of silence for the control group.) If you are a weekend sports player or a serious gym enthusiast, you cannot go wrong with adding more blueberries to your diet.
6. The King of Antioxidants
We all want more antioxidants in our diets, don’t we? After all, they protect our bodies from free radicals, those little devils that cause us damage on a cellular level, causing wrinkles and chronic disease, even cancer! Blueberries are known to have the highest antioxidant capacity of any fruit or vegetable on the planet. To top it all off, it’s as if Mother Nature knew we would one day have freezers. The antioxidant capacity of blueberries only gets more powerful when they are frozen! So, now you have no excuse to not clean out that freezer and add a few more bags of blueberries the next time they go on sale.
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7. Fights Urinary Tract Infections
Although a urinary tract infection can happen to anyone, they are quite common for women since they have shorter urinary tracts which can allow bacteria to travel quite easily. You have probably already heard that cranberries can help to prevent these common infections, but did you know that blueberries are relatives of cranberries? It’s true. Blueberries contain many of the same active compounds that cranberries do. These compounds are called anti-adhesives and they prevent bacteria from sticking to the wall of the bladder. If you aren’t a fan of cranberry juice or if you simply are looking for a change from your morning glass of cranberry juice, try some blueberries for a nice change that still fights infection.
8. Helps to Lower Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a major risk factor for some of the world’s leading causes of death. If you suffer from high blood pressure, you will be happy to hear that blueberries can help. One study of overweight individuals at risk for developing heart disease had as much as a 6 percent reduction in their blood pressure after eating 50 grams (a little more than 1.5 ounces) of blueberries each day over the 8 week study period. Other studies have found similar blood pressure lowering results, several of them involving post-menopausal women. Since hypertension can be a leading driver of stroke and heart attacks, the importance of blueberries becomes apparent. Talk to your doctor about adding more blueberries to your diet and never stop taking your medication until you talk to your doctor first.
9. Anti-Diabetic Effects
When compared to other fruits, blueberries contain less natural sugars than many of them. In fact, one cup of blueberries has only 15 grams of sugar, which is about the same as a large orange or a small apple. It’s important to note that the bioactive compounds in this fruit seem to outweigh any negative impact that the sugar might have on blood sugar levels. One study suggests that the anthocyanins in these blue colored fruits can have super beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and the metabolism of glucose. These are powerful anti-diabetic effects that have been shown to work with either blueberry juice or blueberry extract. One study showed that when obese subjects with insulin resistance consumed a blueberry smoothie each day, it caused significant improvements in their insulin sensitivity. Two of the world’s biggest health problems are type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome and improved insulin sensitivity will help to lower your risk of developing either of these.
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Photo credit: bigstock.com
10. Cancer Protection
No matter your age, you probably worry about getting cancer. Chances are also excellent that you already know someone who is either fighting cancer or who has lost their battle. One of the drivers of cancer is DNA damage, which is caused by oxidative damage. Unfortunately, oxidative damage is a part of our lives. Every person in the world, every single day, has oxidative damage going on in every single cell in our bodies. Blueberries to the rescue! Although there may not be a cure, they can certainly be a preventative measure
. Blueberries are super high in antioxidants, which neutralize the free radicals that cause oxidative damage to our DNA. One study showed that when 168 subjects consumed 34 ounces of a blueberry/apple juice mix over a 4 week period, the oxidative damage to their DNA was reduced by an incredible 20 percent. This was just over a one month period! Imagine what could happen if you drank or consumed blueberries every single day of your life?! Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, which encourages the body to seek out and destroy harmful, damaged, or mutated cells, such as cancer cells, so that they die and are removed from the body. Cancer protection never tasted so good!
11. Natural Pain Relief
Next time you have a headache, instead of reaching for that bottle of pain relieving pills, pop out some blueberries instead. Blueberries contain salicylic acid, which is the natural version of our modern day synthetic aspirin. Blueberries can thin the blood and naturally reduce pain.
SEE ALSO: Top 6 Reasons You Should be Eating More Goji Berries
12. The #1 Reason to Eat Blueberries
They taste so darn good! Seriously, you knew this one already. If you think this isn’t a healthy benefit, consider this; how much good is any food going to do you if you won’t eat it because it tastes nasty? Enough said.
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