blueberries

Blueberries are  naturally sweet and delicious. It is incredible that these tiny fruits contain so many nutrients. Blueberries are flowering plants of  the genus Vaccinium, a genus that includes bilberries and cranberries as well. The fruit is a berry of 0.20 to 0.83 inches in diameter. They are pale greenish at first, then reddish purple and indigo when ripen.
They have roots in Europe and Asia,as well as America. Many species from North America are grown in Australia, New  Zealand and Southern South America. The low bush blueberries or wild blueberries have a very intense color. First Nations in Ontario harvest this wild blueberries.

• Blueberries are a good source of dietary fiber.
• They are an excellent source of antioxidants.
• They may help prevent urinary track infections..
• One half a cup a day of blueberries can prevent heart disease, cancer and even memory loss. All these benefits are due to the presence of arthocyanins.
• Like almost every other fruit or vegetable, blueberries are better eaten raw in order to preserve their antioxidants and vitamin C intact.
• Blueberries are in the same plant family as cranberries, they both contain a substance that prevents bacteria to adhere to the bladder walls where they could multiply.
• They contain arthocyanins, which are compounds associated with the prevention and even reverse age related memory loss, apparently preventing free-radicals from harming brain cells.
• Blueberries contain Polyphenols, which are substances that help neurons communicate better with each other.They are the memory food, their daily consumption dramatically slows impairments in motor coordination and memory.
• Bilberries protect against glaucoma and cataract progression.
• They  prevent against macular degeneration, a disease of the retina   and the leading cause of blindness in people over 65.

Dr. James Joseph has been studying the importance of blueberries  in preventing brain deterioration related to the ageing process. Inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in almost every mayor killer disease: Parkinson's, Alzheimer's,  Heart disease, arthritis,diabetes.