Join Our Vida Juicing Community and Blog for Us Get Started Now

Blueberries – An Amazing Super Food!

By on June 3, 2014

This week’s topic happens to be one of my favorite fruits blueberries. Not only are they tasty and refreshing, but they are loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals that are so good for your body!

 

Blueberries have been tested and have the highest ORAC value of any food in the world. ORAC value, now what exactly does that mean? ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity and is a rating system for antioxidant power. Basically the food is tested for how well antioxidants and phytochemicals work together in our body and is given a rating. Blueberries top the list. Think of it this way it’s like any great football team. It’s not how good each player is individually, but how the team functions as a whole just like in blueberries it’s how all the antioxidants and phytochemicals coincide with each other, not individually, which makes it such a powerful food.

 

Blueberries also have a reputation for being a memory-protecting food. Dr. James Joseph, lead scientist in the Laboratory of Neuroscience Center on Aging at Tufts University, “calls blueberries the brain berries.” Animal studies have shown that daily consumptions of blueberries dramatically reduce impairments in memory and coordination, which usually are the first signs of aging. Furthermore blueberries have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and promote urinary health and let’s not forget that blueberries have an anti-inflammatory antioxidant called anthocyanin, which can help combat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes and heart disease. There is also evidence that blueberries have been shown to promote eye health. In fact in Japan they are known as, “the vision fruit” for their benefits in reducing eyestrain and improving night vision and are currently being studied for fighting macular degeneration. It’s the antioxidant anthocyanins in blueberries that come to bat for us as they strengthen blood vessels at the back of the eye, slowing progression of the disease and helping in macular degeneration prevention.

 

Still yet another reason to eat blueberries is for their anti-cancer fighting activity. A University of Illinois study tested different fruits for a particular flavonoid that inhibits cancer promoting enzymes and blueberries tested the best.

 

I don’t care how you eat them fresh frozen or juiced, just make sure you’re eating them. Research has shown that just a ½ cup of wild blueberries added to your diet every day is enough to provide your body with the antioxidant, memory building and anti-cancer fighting properties available in this super food fruit. If money is an issue purchase the blueberries frozen and you’ll still be taking advantage of the huge health benefits. I put blueberries in my oatmeal, yogurt, juices and smoothies or sometimes I’ll just eat them by the handful, so go ahead and be superhuman and enjoy one of nature’s best super foods. Your body will love you for it. I listed below one of my favorite juices with blueberries. Enjoy and remember juice strong to live long!

 

Blueberries Galore
1 cup blueberries
3 carrots
1 head broccoli
2-3 kale leaves
1 apple

Did you enjoy this article?
Share the Love
Get the latest news, reviews and features directly into your inbox.

About Lionel Correia

Lionel is a fitness enthusiast, juicing advocate, and serial entrepreneur. He loves real estate, but is even more passionate about health, wellness and a positive mindset. He’s a graduate of the University of Arizona and prides himself on establishing great habits because great habits lead to great results. His favorite workouts include, yoga, spin class, sprints on the track and resistance training. He believes that if you desire a strong healthy body, you must first build mental toughness because a healthy body requires a disciplined mind and great habits.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *