Berries are BEST!

The power of the little Blueberry…
The little blueberry provides a powerful nutritional punch! It provides the traditional nutrients—carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene, folic acid, iron, and potassium. However, that is not what has researchers so excited, though. They are interested in the phytochemicals that are so concentrated in these little berries. These phytochemicals include anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, myricetin, quercentin, resveratol, and ellagic acid.

These phytochemicals imbue the blueberry with the ability to:

• Lower the risk of urinary tract infection
• Protect against cardiovascular disease
• Help reduce short-term memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease
• Provide anti-inflammatory abilities
• Resist asthma
• Help to ease the symptoms of menopause
• Prevent cancer (especially colon, breast, and lung)
• Improve eye health
• Reduce the risk of osteoporosis

A diet that is moderately rich in blueberries (about 1 C/day) proved to decrease total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Other research has shown that regular intake of blueberries also may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, also known as healthy cholesterol. Some researchers are even calling blueberries “brainberries,” because of their ability to slow and even reverse deficits in brain functioning.