Blueberry

Blueberries, especially wild species, contain antioxidants which have been found to reduce the risks of some cancers. Researchers in PEI (Canada) have shown that the tannins in blueberries are very active at lowering a protein involved in metastasis of cancer, at least in isolated cells (Matchett and others, 2005). At the 2004 International Conference on Longevity, a group of researchers released details of a study that suggests certain compounds found in blueberries (and some similar fruits, including cranberries) have a significant impact in reducing the degradation of brain function, as in Alzheimer's Disease and other conditions. Feeding blueberries to animals lowers stroke damage (Sweeney). Research at Rutgers has also shown that blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections. Additional studies also found that blueberries were better at lowering cholesterol and lipid levels in the blood, which help alleviate and even reverse signs and symptoms of heart disease. Ciprofibrate was found to be inferior to the blueberries in lowering cholesterol. The signs point to pterostilbene, which signal cells to break down lipids and cholesterol.[3] All of these studies were conducted using high bush, hybrid cultivars of blueberries. A more recent study [citation needed] has tentatively found that anti-oxidants may be higher in lowbush blueberries than in highbush blueberries. The study is flawed in that it does not specify which of the many unique and diverse cultivars of high bush blueberries were used for the comparison or even where the blueberries were grown. The soil where the blueberries were grown impacts the composition of the minerals present.

140 grams of fresh blueberries contain 3 g of fibre. Additionally blueberries are high in manganese as well as vitamin k and have a very low glycemic load in a single 155g serving, making it an ideal food for diabetics.