You may have heard a lot of fuzz about blueberries being an incredible superfood. In this article, you will discover what are superfoods in general, and why blueberry is considered a top superfood choice. Further, you will learn what the best way to include blueberries in your diet is, and how much of them you should eat.
What is a superfood?
The term superfood is commonly used to refer to foods that are extra healthy and provide exceptional health benefits to our body. Examples of such benefits are helping with cholesterol regulation, lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer, and many more.
In other words, including superfoods in your diet is great for your health and highly recommended. Combined with a diverse and overall healthy diet, superfoods can provide you with great benefits and improve your well-being.
Many foods are called superfoods nowadays, but blueberries are one of the most well-studied scientifically and praised for their nutritional value and health benefits. In this article we will explain why blueberries are so special and why you should try to include them in your diet.
Why are blueberries such a special superfood?
Blueberries are the top superfood choice of doctors and nutritionist and there are multiple reasons why that is.
Firstly, they have one of the highest amounts of antioxidants amongst all fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help your body fight stress, which is the main cause of several health conditions. Chronic stress causes inflammation in our bodies, which often leads to autoimmune diseases, digestive issues, heart disease and many types of cancers to name a few. We have written an extensive separate blog post about antioxidants if you would like to find out more details. Thus, including trying to eliminate stress from your body by including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries, in your diet is one of the best ways to prevent such diseases. Important note, if you have access to wild blueberries – also called bilberries-, they are highly recommended because they have about 4 times more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries (you can read more about blueberries vs bilberries).
The second fact for making blueberries such a special superfood is that they are low in calories but dense in nutrients. Blueberries are very low in sugar and only have 65 calories per 100g. In addition, they are a good source of vitamins E, C, and K intake, as well as other micronutrients and minerals that are essential to your body. Lastly, blueberries are rich in natural fiber, which keeps your gut’s microbes happy and helps improve your digestive health.
Thirdly, as blueberries as low in sugar and are a good source of fiber, they have a low Glycemic Index (GI). This may help regulate blood sugar levels and even improve insulin sensitivity . Thus, blueberries are an excellent superfood for people with insulin problems or any type of diabetes too.
What is the best way to include blueberries as a superfood in my diet?
The fresher, the better. As a rule of thumb, the fresher the blueberries are, the higher their nutritional value is. However, if you do not have access to fresh berries, there are other alternatives too. For example, blueberry powder or frozen blueberries are the best alternatives to fresh berries because they preserve almost 100% of the nutritional value of this superfood.
You deserve the best. Go for the “the real deal”. Whether you buy fresh, frozen or powdered blueberries, choose an option that is made from 100% blueberries. Unfortunately, many blueberry products such as dried blueberries, juices, smoothies, and yogurts are loaded with added sugar, preservatives, and other fillers that are often not as healthy as they claim to be. It is, therefore, very important to pay attention to the list of ingredients. Finding a product that is made from real berries only, is the best way to ensure that you get the full health benefits of blueberries.
Have fun. Blueberries are extremely versatile and can be used in endless ways. They go with almost any breakfast option, in salads, desserts, snacks, you name it. Get creative and have fun trying new things. Thanks to their beautiful deep blue color, blueberries and especially wild blueberries are an amazing natural food colorant, too. You can find some fun and creative blueberry powder recipes here.
How often and how much should I eat blueberries?
Several scientific research studies have shown that including blueberries in your diet daily is beneficial for your health. The daily serving of blueberries varies between studies, ranging from 1/2 cup to 2 cups per day.
Medical doctor Ann Kulze, the author of Dr. Ann’s 10 Step Diet: A simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss and Lifelong Vitality, recommends everyone to have about 1/2 cup of blueberries every day (source: WebMd).
In his best-selling Cleanse to Heal book, Anthony Williams, the creator of the Medical Medium community, explains how people can help their body heal and he firmly encourages his readers to use wild blueberries in their daily diet. Medical Medium recommends using at least 1 cup of wild blueberries on a daily basis when following a detox diet for heavy metals, for example.
As blueberries are low in calories, you can guilt-free enjoy their delicious taste and incredible health benefits as much as you want.
Final words
In summary, blueberries – and especially the wild ones – are truly a unique superfood. Considering their incredible health benefits, adding them in your daily diet is a wise decision and an investment for your future health.
One of the easiest ways to enjoy the benefits of wild blueberries is by using Arctic Flavors wild blueberry powder. Made of 100% premium quality wild blueberries growing naturally in the clean forests of Finland, our blueberry powder is also one of the most sustainable ways to enjoy blueberries. The powder requires no refrigeration and can be used in endless ways. You can get yours here: blueberry powder.
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Wild Blueberry Powder (Bilberry) 85g19.95 €
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Product on saleImmune Booster TrioOriginal price was: 54.95 €.47.95 €Current price is: 47.95 €.
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Super Antioxidant Trio55.95 €
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The Ultimate Superfood Bundle124.95 €
We hope you enjoyed this blog post about blueberries, one of the best superfoods out there!
xx
Arctic Flavors