The healthy properties of blueberries

We all know that blueberries are healthy – it’s a fact that’s hard to escape, but the details as to why blueberries are healthy are often glossed over.

Typically, you’re likely to hear the term “antioxidant” thrown around. Maybe the conversation turns to skin or gut health or maybe the opposite happens and a naysayer chimes in with sugar content facts and a strong dislike for the colour purple.

The next time that you’re looking to have a conversation about those joyful purple berries, keep the following facts in your back pocket. You never know when they’ll come in handy!

Blueberries contain antioxidants

We’re starting with the most popular blueberry health fact – the antioxidant content of the humble blueberry.

Our bodies love antioxidants and use them to protect against harmful free radical which contribute to both ageing and diseases. Naturally, anything that prevents ageing and puts a stop to harmful diseases (including some cancers) is something that is of huge interest to health-conscious consumers – shifting the blueberry to the top of the fruit pile in countless households.

Blueberries are widely believed to be the king of all fruits and vegetables when comparing antioxidant levels, so much so that there is actually evidence linked to a direct increase in the antioxidant levels in the body.

Blueberries can help with healthy bones

Although it’s one food that’s not typically associated with skeleton health, blueberries have been linked to keeping healthy bones.

The health property is thanks to the vitamins and minerals that make up the berry, namely iron, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K, all of which are also present in human bones.

By regularly consuming blueberries, bone health is wildly boosted, ensuring a strong and healthy skeleton maintaining both structure and strength.

Blueberries can promote skin health

It’s not just the bones and the antioxidant improvements that blueberries can boast, skin health can also be added to the list.

The main support system of the skin, collagen, relies on vitamin C as its essential nutrient and works to prevent damage to the skin. A single cup of blueberries can provide as much as 24 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

Collagen also has the ability to smooth wrinkles and improve the texture of the skin, an ability that is only strengthened with vitamin C intake.

Other health properties of blueberries

Although we only have time to cover a small handful of the proven health benefits of blueberries, there are countless other pros to the flourishing fruit.

From anti-diabetes effects and UTI-fighting abilities to brain function improvement and heart disease prevention – there’s seemingly nothing that the blueberry cannot do. It’s almost a shame that the antioxidant properties steal away the headlines. 

There’s a huge range of ways to include them as a part of a healthy diet, too. The fruit itself can be added to oats, shakes, eaten by themselves or as a part of any number of concoctions whereas countless supplements and health potions look to use blueberry extract, capitalising on the rich benefits that the berry boasts.