The Blueberry... Superfood???

Hey Everyone,

Ok.. You all know about my increasing search for those foods which will assist me in my quest for optimum health. So, here we go!

The blueberry... Ahhh... We are all familiar with this wonderful berry atop pancakes and in jams and jellies, but there's so much more to these spheres of sweetness!

Because we all know what a blueberry looks like, I'll save that part of the research portion of this. However, lowbush blueberries (better known as wild) are grown predominately in North America, specifically Quebec, Canada and the northeastern region of the United States. "Wild" has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed native stands of low-bush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or genetically manipulated, but they are pruned or burned over every two years, and pests are "managed". Maine produces 25% of the supply of wild blueberries in the United States, while Quebec produces 40% of Canada's supply.

But did you know that researchers have shown that wild (lowbush) blueberries contain anthocyanins & resveratrol (best known for being found in red wine) which inhibit cancer cell prevention* and protect the cardiovascular system? And did you know that chemical isolated from blueberry leaves can block replication of the hepatitis C virus and might help to delay disease spread in infected individuals?** Numerous studies have shown blueberries to improve nighttime visual acuity and promote quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare (Bilberries, a cousin to the blueberry, were ingested in the form of jam by British Pilots in WWII before night missions). And researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Plus.. they taste scrumptious!!! So I ask again... The Blueberry... Superfood??? I say indeed.. Protect your body, protect your skin!

With Sweet Goodness,
Shermaine

*Yi W, Fischer J, Krewer G, Akoh CC (September 2005). "Phenolic compounds from blueberries can inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis". J Agric Food Chem. 53 (18): 7320–9. doi:10.1021/jf051333o. PMID 16131149.

**The hepatitis healing power of blueberry leaves