Blueberries – Super Fruit Or Hype?
Some individuals have always stated that some fruits, nuts or vegetables are super foods. This is a contentious subject, yet it has to be the case that some foodstuffs are better for you than others, but whether it is reasonable to hype up a foodstuff for a quick sale is another topic. 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 relieve eye strain; improve brain and memory functions and resist urinary tract infections (UTI’s). Blueberries are said to be abounding in antioxidants and anthocyanins, but what are they?
Well, antioxidants are said to counteract the effects of oxidation and free radicals, which are often associated with the development 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 employs white bread as the marker against which each foodstuff is measured. 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 lots of people, but it is important 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 might help preserve vision. This would improve eye strain or eye tiredness
If this assists preserve vision, it would also delay hair loss, because hair loss is normally 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 people claim that flavonoids can improve the connections between neurons in the brain, which would almost certainly raise mental capacity.
It might also slow down the deterioration of brain cells and so also the traditionally-perceived decline in mental capacity that is associated with old age. If this is a fact, then the consumption of blueberries would also help slow down the progression of lack of motor control: that is, it might help the elderly move more smoothly, less jerkily.
However, the same people will admit that to make a 5-6% improvement in motor skills would probably take a daily consumption of around 100 grammes per day, which is naturally not an insignificant amount, even if you like them and grow them yourself.
It has also been stated that the daily consumption of blueberries reduces the quantity of LDL in the blood, which is popularly called ‘bad cholesterol’.
If you would like to test the effects of eating blueberries on yourself, here are a few suggestions on how you can incorporate them into your diet.
Fresh blueberries: eat whilst in season and 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 author of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with detox diet menus. If you want to know more, just visit our site at http://vegetariancasserolerecipes.com
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