It has recently been announced that eating a cup of blueberries a day reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease, among other benefits.
The latest revelation comes from the University of East Anglia in England, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard and across the UK.
The findings suggested that eating 150g of blueberries daily reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 15%.
The university researches wanted to see whether eating blueberries had any effect on Metabolic Syndrome, a condition, affecting one in three of westernised adults, which can lead to; high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, low levels of ‘good cholesterol’, and high levels of triglycerides.
Anthocyanins
Lead researcher Prof Aedin Cassidy, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, highlighted that previous studies have indicated that people who regularly eat blueberries have a reduced risk of developing conditions including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“This may be because blueberries are high in naturally occurring compounds called anthocyanins, which are the flavonoids responsible for the red and blue colour in fruits,” she explained.
These anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments responsible, and they're widely acknowledged as the main contributor to blueberries' health benefits in metabolic disorders.
Co-lead, Dr Peter Curtis, also from UEA's Norwich Medical School, confirmed that the team found that “eating one cup of blueberries per day resulted in sustained improvements in vascular function and arterial stiffness”.
He said it makes enough of a difference to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by between 12% and 15%.
“The simple and attainable message is to consume one cup of blueberries daily to improve cardiovascular health,” he added.
It is far from the first time the health benefits of consuming blueberries have been explored.
Memory & Vascular Benefits
Even as recent as April this year, a research project exploring the effects of blueberry consumption on cognitive performance as we age was released.
The study, carried out for The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, set out to discover consider the existing clinical research from both acute and chronic blueberry interventions on cognition in human subjects.
Findings from these studies indicate that cognitive benefits may be found for delayed memory and executive function in children and for delayed memory, executive function, and psychomotor function in older healthy and adults suffering from mild cognitive impairment.
It added, however, that there is less evidence to suggest positive benefits of blueberry intervention on working memory.
In February, the same publication reported the findings of its study on the vascular benefits of blueberries.
The anthocyanins in blueberries have a high antioxidant activity, which protects your body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to ageing and diseases.
Blueberries are known to be among the most nutrient-dense berries out there, with a 148-gram serving containing four grams of fibre, 24% of the RDI of Vitamin C, 36% of the RDI of Vitamin K, 25% of the RDI of Manganese, and small traces of other nutrients.
Blueberries put in a lot of work in helping your fight off a lot of damage that is an unavoidable part of everyday life, such as helping to reduce DNA damage which is the main driver of ageing and cancer.
All of that in a small bowl of berries.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
