Blueberries

Blueberries contain large amounts of vitamin C. One serving provides you with at least 25 percent of the daily value your body needs. Vitamin C helps the formation of collagen and also keeps gums healthy, as well as a healthy immune system.

Blueberries contain 14 milligrams of vitamin C per cup. Vitamin C reduces intraocular pressure, decreasing the possibility of developing glaucoma, which is associated to several ocular conditions which may damage the optic nerve. This disease is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States.

Cardiovascular diseases are a serious public health issue in the United States. It is currently the leading cause of death, both in men and women. High blood pressure, high blood sugar and obesity are some of the most common conditions that lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

A recent research indicates that berries, including strawberries and blueberries, can reduce the risk of heart disease in women. This is due to its high content of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are part of a subclass of flavonoids which can help counteract plaque buildup and improve cardiovascular health. According to the said research, women who eat three or more servings of blueberries or strawberries per week can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Do you remember anthocyanins? These not only are the pigments that give blueberries their blue color and improve heart health, but they can also help fight cancer caused by free radicals. And they may even prevent the development of tumor cells. This is stated by a study carried out by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which focused on the effects of blueberries on prostate cancer.

While the research is still ongoing, scientists found sufficient evidence to state that blueberries are a potential therapeutic agent for early-stage prostate cancer, or at least a possible means of preventing prostate cancer.

Urinary tract infections (UIs) are caused by bacteria that take and grow inside the urinary tract, causing an infection. This disease does not always have symptoms, but some can be the strong and continuous need to urinate, strong smell in the urine, and pelvic pain in women. In fact, urinary infections are 10 times more common among women than men and more than 50 percent of women suffer from this disease at least once in their lives, as reported by University of Maryland Medical Center.

You may have heard that blueberries can help fight urinary tract infections. That’s why doctors often recommend eating or drinking this fruit. This is because blueberries contain compounds that prevent bacteria from attaching to the walls of the bladder. Thus, blueberries can help prevent urinary tract infections. Like cranberries, blueberries contain substances that inhibit bacteria from adhering to the tissues of the bladder. Eating food that is high in antioxidants, such as blueberries, can help reduce these symptoms.

Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Research Center have been studying, for more than a decade, the beneficial effects of blueberries on brain function in animals. Through studies with rats, researchers have discovered that memory loss, which normally occurs by age, can be prevented and even reversed by feeding blueberries to elderly rats.

Additionally, in a study performed on nine people, led by Robert Krikorian and his team at the University of Cincinnati, it was discovered that elderly adults who were given blueberry juice obtained higher results in memory tests than those who received placebo. This study supports ongoing research on how blueberries can serve as a preventive method for cognitive decline.