Health Benefits of the Blueberry
 There has been a longstanding belief in natural medicine that
there are certain foods that provide more than just dietary value
and are believed to have disease-fighting and healing properties.
One of these foods that has been studied and proven to be, among
other things, a healthy way to fill up on antioxidants, is the
blueberry.
In recent USDA studies, blueberries have, in fact, been shown
to be number one in antioxidant activity, as compared to 40 other
fruits and vegetables (Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research
Center on Aging at Tufts University).
Blueberries have been shown to be good for:
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Decreasing your risk of cancer
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Preventing heart disease and stroke by reducing the build
up of so-called "bad" cholesterol
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Guarding against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases
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Combating aging and reversing short term memory loss
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Relieving arthritis inflammation
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Fighting infection and strengthening the immune system
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Promoting urinary tract health
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Optimizing vision health and reversing the causes of blindness
Probably the most nutrient-laden part of the blueberry is its
skin. The dye released from the pigments in the skin of the blueberry,
called anthocyanin is the source of the powerful antioxidants
used by the body to fight off everything from cancer to heart
disease.
But, before we go on, what are antioxidants?
Blueberries and Antioxidants
Antioxidants, by definition, are:
"any of various substances (as beta-carotene, vitamin
C, and alpha-tocopherol) that inhibit oxidation or reactions
promoted by oxygen and peroxides and that include many held
to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free
radicals."
What this means is that antioxidants, like those found in blueberries,
fight off toxic forms of oxygen.
These destructive elements have been linked to at least 60 chronic
diseases, as well as to aging itself. Oxygen "free radicals,"
which can attack DNA, can also cause DNA to mutate; this mutation
is often a starting point for cancer.
A recent study involving rats has also shown
blueberries to be helpful in slowing down or stopping memory loss
and improving short-term memory. In the study, one group of rats
was fed a diet high in blueberry content, while the other group
was fed a diet of regular rat food. After 48 hours of exposure
to unconcentrated oxygen, the regular food group of rats lost
responsiveness in the neurotransmitters associated with short-term
memory, while the blueberry group experienced no change. Blueberries
are being proven to hold off some of the decline in short term
memory loss associated with aging by increasing the ability of
brain cells to transmit messages.
Blueberries and Age Related Diseases
Antioxidantal prowess, however, is not the blueberry's only claim
to fame. Blueberries can also play a pivotal role in the prevention
of vision loss.
Anthocyanosides, compounds found in blueberry extract, have been
found in studies to decrease loss of sight.
Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey
has discovered a compound in blueberries that has been shown to
increase urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection.
It works by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that
line the walls of the urinary tract.
The exciting news is that YOU can play a part in fighting
off the ravages of these unhealthy toxins!
Loading up on high antioxidant foods, like blueberries, can significantly
lower the effects of these free radicals. By supplying your cells
with antioxidant food compounds, you can thwart the progress of
unhealthy oxygen molecules and even repair some of their damage.
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