Blueberries!

Why eat blueberries?

(Source)

No, not to turn out like Violet from Willy Wonka.

Blueberries are nutritional powerhouses!

Because blueberries are so high antioxidants, they have great disease preventing properties!

Fiber

Blueberries have tons of fiber in them.  We discussed in this post why fiber is so important and why it should be a healthy part of our diet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is often recommended when someone has a cold.  But is there any truth to the belief that Vitamin C can help cure the common cold?  In a 2007 study, researchers from Australia aimed to determine if a .2g (=200mg) daily dose of Vitamin C could reduce the incidence, severity or duration of the common cold.

To put 200mg in perspective, a large class of orange juice has 100mg of Vitamin C.

The researchers conducted a meta-analysis study.  This means they looked at previously conducted studies and compiled all the data.  They looked at 29 studies which involved over 11,000 participants.  They  found that 200mg of Vitamin C daily did not affect the incidence, severity or duration of the common cold, except in individuals in extreme conditions such as marathon runners.

Even though Vitamin C may not help us get over a cold, it does have other health benefits. It helps the enzymes in our body work well, is an antioxidant and an antihistamine (source).

Although it is difficult to overdose on Vitamin C, extremely high doses (over 2000mg/day) can cause kidney stones, nausea, and diarrhea.

Other Nutrients

Blueberries have a high concentration of manganese, a trace element that helps our enzymes work effectively.

Do I Need to Buy Organic?

If you can, yes.  The EWG lists blueberries as one of the “dirty dozen.”  This means that blueberries have a high level of pesticides on them which cannot be simply washed off.  Beside the obvious risk of pesticides, evidence suggests that organically grown fruit has more phytochemicals, disease fighting chemicals, than non-organically grown fruit.  Although more research needs to be done, this is a interesting discovery.

How Can I Cook Them?

There are so many sweet and savory recipes on the internet for frozen or fresh blueberries. Here are some healthy and gorgeous ways to eat them….if you have any left after eating them right out of the the basket!

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler from Cooking Light

Pecan Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes from Bodysite

Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust from Eating Well

Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry BBQ Sauce from Delish

Mini Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins from Oh She Glows

Blueberry Basil Sauce and Poached Salmon from Natureripe

Question?

What is your favorite way to eat blueberries?  Do you like them raw or in dishes?  Sweet or savory?

Note

A few of my citations come from Wikipedia.  However, I only believe Wikipedia if Wikipedia cites where it got the fact from and that source is reputable.