Blueberries - Are They A Super Fruit?

Some people have always stated that some fruits, nuts or vegetables are super foods. This is a controversial issue, but it has to be the case 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 issue. 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; improve brain and memory functions and resist 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 frequently linked to the occurrence of cancer and anthocyanins are a kind of flavonoids, which are also an anti-carcinogen.

Blueberries are also in the bottom category of the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index uses 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 knowledge for many people, but it is vital for dieters and diabetics.

Blueberries are thought 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 relieve eye strain or eye tiredness

If this helps preserve vision, it would also delay hair loss, because hair loss is usually 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 raise mental capacity.

It may also slow down the degeneration 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 might help the elderly move more naturally, less jerkily.

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

It has also been stated that the daily consumption of blueberries reduces the level of LDL in the blood, which is popularly known as 'bad cholesterol'.

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

Fresh blueberries: eat while in season but freeze as many 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 article, writes on several topics, is now concerned with detox diet menus. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at http://vegetariancasserolerecipes.com