Did you know that there are over 50 varieties of blueberries, and of these, the highbush blueberry is the most common type and the ones you usually find in grocery stores. Out of all the fruits in the berry family, blueberries are one of the most nutrient-dense, so they are packed with several sources of important nutrients. In Welsh they may be called 'llus', 'llusen', 'lluswydden', 'llysau duon bach' or even 'mwyar y brain'.
What's so great about blueberries/'llusen' then?
Rich source of antioxidants, which are substances that protect cells in the body from getting damaged, and therefore could contribute to lowering the risk of illnesses that are caused by cell damage such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Good source for fibre, vitamin C, vitmain E and manganese
May be beneficial to older population and protecting ageing-related diseases
Could help improve gut health due to the rich source of polyphenols, which have an antimicrobial and anti-oxidative effect.
Possible effects on brain function
Blueberries, an antioxidant superfood. Antioxidants are substances that can protect our cells agains unstable molecules called free radicals. Free radicals can build up in our cells and if we have too many free radicals in or body, then it can cause damage to other molecules, which in turn can lead to serious health consequences such as progression of diabetes, risk of heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants act as a defence against these free radicals, by changing them from being an unstable molecule to a stable molecule (refer to the diagram below).
So we want to make sure we are getting enough antioxidants in our diet, to ensure that the free radicals that form in our body (mostly formed by electrons 'escaping' the metabolic pathway, but they can also be formed via external sources such as environmental pollutants, radiation and cigarette smoke) are kept in check.
Blueberries are among the most nutrient-dense berries. Consuming 100g of blueberries contains:
45 kcal
1.5g of fibre (6% of the daily recommended intake)
6mg of vitamin C (6-8% of the daily recommended intake)
0.94mg of vitamin E (6% of the daily recommended intake)
0.69mg of Manganese (35% of the daily recommended)
According to some studies, blueberries could 'help people age better'. By 2050, around 22% of the world's population will be aged 60 years and above. So there is major focus at the moment on promoting healthy ageing, and building systems to be able to meet the needs of older adults. According to a recent review published this year, there are some evidence that consuming anthocyanin, which blueberries are one the richest source for, is linked to reducing ageing-related diseases [1]. This review states that the positive health outcomes attributed to consuming anthocyanin in the diet could help improve the circulatory system (the vessels that carry blood around the body), improve bone health, and contribute towards cancer prevention.
Blueberries might also positively influence the composition of the gut microbiome, mainly because of the anthocyanin content found in blueberries. Gut microbiome is composed of bacteria, viruses and other microscopic living things that live in the human digestive system. Without gut microbiome, it would be very difficult to survive. The food we eat can affect the diversity of our gut bacteria, and the higher microbiome diversity, the better it is for your health [3]. Studies have reported that it is possible that regular consumption of blueberries could could promote gut health [4, 5]. Although, majority of the studies looking into this are studied on rates, and very limited research has been done on humans.
There are also some evidence that blueberry consumption might enhance brain activity, especially shown in older adults. From a recent review on the health benefits of blueberries, it was stated that blueberries could have a possible effect on better task switching, reduced interference with memory, improved memory and improved concentration [6]
To conclude, blueberries are definitely healthy and packed full of nutrients. I have only discussed five possible health benefits of blueberries, but there are so many more studies and suggestions of why blueberries are so great. However, as stated by a recent review on the health properties of blueberries [2], establishing a claim between blueberries and its link to potential health benefits or potential in reducing the risk of a disease is very complex, just like any other health claims. More research is needed, in particular long-term studies using humans as participants, to get a better understanding go the real impact that the ingestion of blueberries has on our bodies.
Today's Fun Facts:
The heaviest blueberry recorded by the Guinness World Records weighs 16.20 g (0.57 oz), and was achieved in Australia on 20th of September, 2020. That's about two and a half times as heavy as the human eye haha!
References:
Hair, R., Sakaki, J. R., & Chun, O. K. (2021). Anthocyanins, Microbiome and Health Benefits in Aging. Molecules, 26(3), 537.
Silva, S., Costa, E. M., Veiga, M., Morais, R. M., Calhau, C., & Pintado, M. (2020). Health promoting properties of blueberries: A review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 60(2), 181-200.
Koenig, J. E., Spor, A., Scalfone, N., Fricker, A. D., Stombaugh, J., Knight, R., ... & Ley, R. E. (2011). Succession of microbial consortia in the developing infant gut microbiome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(Supplement 1), 4578-4585.
Lacombe, A., Li, R. W., Klimis-Zacas, D., Kristo, A. S., Tadepalli, S., Krauss, E., ... & Wu, V. C. (2013). Lowbush wild blueberries have the potential to modify gut microbiota and xenobiotic metabolism in the rat colon. PLoS One, 8(6), e67497.
Vendrame, S., Guglielmetti, S., Riso, P., Arioli, S., Klimis-Zacas, D., & Porrini, M. (2011). Six-week consumption of a wild blueberry powder drink increases bifidobacteria in the human gut. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 59(24), 12815-12820.
Kalt, W., Cassidy, A., Howard, L. R., Krikorian, R., Stull, A. J., Tremblay, F., & Zamora-Ros, R. (2020). Recent research on the health benefits of blueberries and their anthocyanins. Advances in Nutrition, 11(2), 224-236.
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