Blueberries Are Delicious
And Packed with Nutrients
Blueberries are one of my favorite foods, and they bring up fond memories. When I was a young girl my family vacationed in a cottage at Caseville, Michigan, during wild blueberry season. We raided the kitchen for pans and buckets and took to the beautiful surrounding woods to fill our containers with delicious huckleberries, as my mother called them.
Back in the cottage, Mom made huckleberry pies. It’s not the healthiest way to eat them, but those pies were scrumptious. I believe that eating something made with love and happiness is good for us at some level, even though it’s also made with sugar and white flour. However, if you want to get the optimum health benefits from eating fruits and vegetables,
raw
is the way to go.Click here for a vegan blueberry pancake recipe... delicious and easy. These fruits are loaded with nutrients including manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. They, especially the wild species, contain high amounts of anthocyanins and other
antioxidants
and phytochemicals which play a major role in reducing the risks of some diseases such as
inflammation
and different types of cancer. There is evidence that when the berries are cooked, much of the free radical-fighting value of the antioxidants and other nutrients is destroyed.
Health Benefits
Research published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry showed that blueberries are 38% more effective at fighting free radicals than red wine. This same journal presented a study showing that phenolic compounds in these berries can inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation.The previously mentioned antioxidant anthocyanin neutralizes free radical damage that can lead to glaucoma, cataracts, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, heart disease, and cancer. Age-related diseases can be protected against by eating these potent little fruits. This means that you don’t have to assume that you’ll get Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. You can take charge of your health as you age and you don’t have to fall prey to the frightening predictions you get from the media. Other health benefits include healthier elimination. They help relieve both constipation and diarrhea. They also reduce the ability of E. coli to adhere to urinary tract walls.
How to Buy, Store and Eat
Look for berries that are firm, plump and have a lively-looking color. If you shake the container gently, they should move around a little, not clump together as if they’re wet. That’s not a good thing. Store them in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week. Wash the berries just before you eat them.
They’re delicious just as is, or add a handful to your morning cereal or smoothie. The growing season in the U.S. is May through October, but you can find imported ones during the rest of the year. And frozen berries are readily available.Enjoy the bountiful blessings of these little fruits whenever you can. They are packed with flavor and health-enhancing nutrition.
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