As you probably noticed on my blog cover photo, I am quite the fan of blueberries.If you seek a healthy lifestyle blueberries are an excellent fruit choice and I will explain why.
In a recent study a scientist discovered that blueberries are one of the most vital fruits if you want to maintain your health at the highest level.
Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruits!
These antioxidants are very important to us because they support our overall health as well as our immune system. How deeper blue the colour of the blueberries the richer in antioxidants they are.
Let’s look at the benefits of this awesome fruit.
Health Benefits
Reducing Belly Fat
A study performed at the Michigan University found out that blueberries might reduce belly fat. The study was conducted on mice for a 90-day period. The scientists have proven the fact that the mice with a blueberry diet had less belly fat then the mice with a normal diet.
Helps improving memory
Blueberries have proven to be the best fruit for your brain. This is because they:
- Protect the brain against oxidative stress
- Reduce the age-related memory problems (Dementia, Alzheimer)
- Researchers found out that a diet including blueberries increases memory and brain functions significantly!
Slows the Aging Process
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties assist in building a layer around the brain to fight ageing and deterioration.
Act as natural Anti-Depressants
Eating blueberries help to keep you in a good mood and help reduce depression symptoms.
Neutralizes Free Radicals
Blueberries are full of Anthocyanin. This is a pigment which also gives the blueberries their dark blue color. Anthocyanin is a powerful antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals can lead to cancer and other age related diseases, to read more about this click here. So remember when picking your blueberries make sure you pick the darkest colour as possible as they contain more Anthocyanin.
Maintaining Eyesight
Nutrients within the blueberry have proved to be enhancing and maintaining eyesight. Blueberries are full of Vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining good eyesight.
Lower Cholesterol
One of the awesome things blueberries do is that they lower your cholesterol levels naturally. A recent study shows that a substance found in blueberries prove to lower cholesterol as effective as prescription drugs without side effects. As the blueberries keep your cholesterol under control they also contribute in improving your heart health. Which automatically reduces the risk of a heart disease.
Prevent Urinary Infections
A recent study showed that blueberries contain compounds similar to cranberries, which help preventing and threating urinary infections.
Boosting the Immune System
All the antioxidants help the body’s immune system. They enable the body to fight viral and bacterial infections.
If all these benefits don’t convince you yet, blueberries taste great as well! I usually mix them with muesli and yoghurt for breakfast or just eat them straight away. Blueberries are a great snack between meals. Try them, you won’t regret!