© 2008 Taywell

Blueberries are the fruits of a shrub that belong to the heath family, which includes the cranberry and bilberry as well as the azalea, mountain laurel and rhododendron. They are literally bursting with nutrients and flavour, yet very low in calories. A one cup serving of fresh blueberries gives over 30% of the body’s vitamin C requirement and 20% of its manganese.

Pterostilbene (pronounced Tare-oh-still-bean), a powerful antioxidant compound found in blueberries, which is already known to fight cancer, may also help lower cholesterol. Extracts of bilberry (a variety of blueberry) have been shown in numerous studies to improve night time visual acuity and promote quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of vision after exposure to glare. In animal studies, 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.

In addition to their powerful anthocyanins, blueberries contain another antioxidant compound called ellagic acid, which blocks metabolic pathways that can lead to cancer. In addition to containing ellagic acid, blueberries are high in the soluble fibre pectin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol and to prevent bile acid from being transformed into a potentially cancer-causing form.

Blueberries can help relieve both diarrhoea and constipation because they contain the same compounds found in cranberries that help prevent or eliminate urinary tract infections.

 

They consist of the following:

Asparagus

Apples

Blackberries

Black, Red, Whitecurrants

Blueberries

Cherries

Crab Apples

Cranberries

Damsons

Golden & Red Raspberries

Gooseberries

Loganberries

Pears

Plums

Rhubarb

Sea Buckthorn

Sloes

Strawberries

Tayberries