Wild blueberries are the king of the superfoods and are a powerhouse of nutrients. They are a rich source of fibre, vitamins C, K (folate) and some minerals like manganese, This list doesn’t end here! Wild blueberries contain a high percentage and a large variety of phytochemicals (flavonoids) from the polyphenolic family (polyphenols).
Studies have shown that wild blueberries have twice the antioxidant power of ordinary blueberries and 33% more anthocyanins than traditional blueberries (1).
When you eat wild blueberries, your body receives a cocktail of nutrients with unique healing properties that are beneficial for the prevention and healing of many chronic health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia.
Wild blueberries are an excellent anti-aging all-rounder that will boost your skin, mental and physical performance.
Let’s find out more about the health benefits of wild blueberries and how to maximize their healing properties.
The power of wild blueberries
Wild blueberries are very high in Anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids which is responsible for the deep blue colour of their skin.
Anthocyanins have a strong antioxidant activity which is beneficial for your body. It neutralizes free radicals in your body and prevents DNA damage that is associated with many chronic illnesses such as cancer or Alzheimer’s. Antioxidants also combat inflammation in your body which contributes to chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and cognitive disease (e.g. Alzheimer and dementia) and many more.
If there is one superfood to get your hands on, wild blueberries get the first place – the king of all super foods due to a variety of benefits in disease prevention.
Plant Oceans Nutrition
How to fight disease?
Let’s look at specific health benefits of wild blueberries for individual health concerns in more detail.
Cardiovascular disease
More than 20 years of research shows that anthocyanins lower blood pressure and reduce risk of clogged blood vessels (2,3). They are also rich in pectin (a form of soluble fiber) that can lower your total cholesterol levels.
Type 2 Diabetes
Wild blueberries are a low-glycemic food, beneficial for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. When you eat wild blueberries, it takes your body significantly longer to raise blood sugar, compared to high-glycemic foods such as bread and pasta. In one study, subjects who ate wild blueberries daily for six weeks improved their insulin sensitivity. (4)
Cancer
Wild blueberries are protective against cancer. Their antioxidant power reduces oxidative cell damage and inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation is linked with an increased risk of developing cancer.
In addition, anthocyanins directly impact cancer development on the cellular level, causing cancer cell death (apoptosis) and inhibiting the growth of the blood vessels to cancer cells (angiogenesis) (5,6).
Cognitive decline
Wild blueberries are loaded with antioxidants that reduce inflammation and brain aging, reducing risk of long-term neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. They improve communication between various areas of the brain and improve the flow of oxygen and glucose to the brain. As results your memory and overall brain health is improved.
Wild blueberries are beneficial for our children too. Studies showed positive effects of eating wild blueberries on brain function and mood in children and teenagers (7).
Eye health
Studies showed that anthocyanins improve vision recovery after exposure to bright light. They are also beneficial for your eyes as they lower blood and fluid pressure and reduce the likelihood of cataracts (8).
Muscle Recovery
The antioxidant power of wild blueberries is beneficial if you suffer from sore muscles after a workout. Wild blueberries reduce inflammation and oxidative stress caused by micro-tears to your muscles as results of your workout. According to a study in New Zealand, muscle cells experienced less damage when they were exposed to a blueberry extract (9). Muscle biopsies of athletes have also confirmed that eating blueberries can significantly reduce exercise-induced inflammation (10).
Aging
Wild blueberries are good for any signs of aging such as your wrinkles, grey hair, puffy eyes and age spots thanks to their high proportion of antioxidants.
Liver Health
Several animal studies showed that that anthocyanins help protect your liver from damage and improve its autoimmune and antioxidant responses important for its key functions: removing toxins, producing proteins, cholesterol, bile, and storing vitamins, minerals and glucose (11).
How to optimize their power?
Wild blueberries are a highly seasonal produce grown in a very specific climate so getting them fresh is almost impossible if you live in Australia. The good news is that you can enjoy them all year around as frozen wild blueberries.
Wild blueberries retain most of their nutrient content even after freezing as they are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash-frozen within the 24 hours right after harvesting them. This technology makes it possible to lock in key vitamins, minerals and preserving taste, and distribute them to all places across the globe. Even to places like Australia where I live now, miles away from their original location.
Shopping tips and eating hacks
In Australia, you can purchase frozen wild blueberries from FrozBerries which is the most cost-effective option, with additional discount if you buy in bulk. If you don’t have the time to travel to their stores, many smaller independent supermarkets like IGA or Farmer Jacks stock wild blueberries in their freezer aisle.
Wild Blueberry Powder
If you can’t source frozen wild blueberries in your area or you travel a lot and it is just not convenient to use them, you can use wild blueberry powder instead. The powder preserves the content of all nutrients in wild blueberries and is so versatile. One teaspoon of powder is equivalent to approximately half a cup (1/2 cup) of berries.
You can add a teaspoon of the powder to your smoothie, sprinkle it over your porridge and much more.
Conventional Blueberries
If you can’t get the powder, conventional fresh or frozen blueberries are your second choice. In this case, you always buy organic blueberries as traditional blueberries are heavily treated with pesticides.
Amount to eat
To benefit from their antioxidant properties, you should eat at least 60g of fresh or frozen wild blueberries which is approximately ¼ of cup (11). But if you are up for more goodness, feel free to include a double serve or more. My morning smoothie includes a cup of wild blueberries every day for maximum benefits.
Menu ideas
There are so many ways to include them in your diet. I like to add a cup of wild blueberries into my morning smoothie. You can also add them to your hot porridge or overnight oats which is my kids favourite. You can also use them to make a healthy ice cream or make bliss balls using the wild blueberry powder.
Are wild blueberries a staple in your diet? If not, check out these simple yet delicious recipe to see how to incorporate wild blueberries into your diet daily. You body will thank you for it!
Recipes
References:
- Wild Blueberries of North America 2021, https://www.wildblueberries.com/health-benefits
- Kalt, W. et al, Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins, Adv Nutr 2019;00:1-13. https://academic.oup.com/advances/advance-article/doi/10.1093/advances/nmz065/5536953
- Stull, AJ et al, Journal of Nutrition 2010, 140:10. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/140/10/1764/4600255
- Klimis-Zacas, D. et al, Wild Blueberries Attenuate Risk Factors of the Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Berry Research 2016, 6:2. https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-berry-research/jbr136#ref011
- Johnson SA, Arjmandi BH. Evidence for anti-cancer properties of blueberries: a mini-review. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013;13(8):1142-1148.
- Richard Beliveau & Denis Gingras, 2017, Foods to fight cancer, London UK.
- Wild Blueberries of North America 2021, https://www.wildblueberries.com/health-benefits/brain-health/
- Kalt, W. et al, Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins, Adv Nutr 2019, https://academic.oup.com/advances/advance-article/doi/10.1093/advances/nmz065/5536953
- NUTRAIngredients.com, 2021, Blueberries may protect muscles from exercise damage (nutraingredients.com)
- Michael Greger M.D., 2015, How not to die, London UK.
- PUBMed.gov, 2014, Review of natural products with hepatoprotective effects, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25356040/
