Blueberries: Summer Fruit Spotlight

Blueberries are one of summer's most popular and easy to eat fruits. Beyond just their yummy taste and snackability, blueberries are a Super Food! Read on to learn all about the wellness benefits of blueberries, as well as a showcase of easy and delicious recipes.

Blueberries: Health Benefits & Recipes | Musings of a Modern Hippie

{I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.}

Blueberries get their Super Food status because they are low in calories while being very nutrient dense, anti-oxidant rich, and have disease-fighting properties.

One cup of blueberries contains approximately:

4 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber (important for digestive health).
14 mg of Vitamin C (important for immune function, detoxification, stress management, and over 300 other functions!).
28 ug (28% of Optimum Daily Intake!) of Vitamin K (important for bone and blood health).
1 mg (30% of Optimum Daily Intake!) of Manganese (important for energy, metabolism, and joint health).
Small amounts of various other nutrients like potassium, magnesium, folate, vitamins E and A, calcium, and trace minerals.

Blueberries are also about 85% water, and an entire cup contains only around 80 calories and 20 grams of carbohydrates. Blueberries are high in anti-oxidants:

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, a group of flavonoid compounds found it brightly colored fruits and veggies, known especially for their anti-oxidant properties, that give blueberry skins their dark purplish-blue color. Anti-oxidants are compounds that move throughout the body and scavenge free-radicals, compounds that can cause damage, and lead to disease and aging in the body. Free-radicals are found in our environment, food supply, and generated naturally in the body. Flavonoids are particularly strong anti-oxidants that also bind heavy metals, and protect the body.

Blueberries have been shown to reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol, blood pressure, and may prevent heart disease as well as improve memory and brain function. Studies have also shown anthocyanins to reduce insulin sensitivity.