Blueberries: Small Package, Big Protection

Blueberries: Small Package, Big Protection

Reduce the signs of aging and maintain your memory with blueberries

by Kelley Herring

If there's one food researchers agree you should be eating more of, its blueberries.

Bursting with antioxidant nutrients this diminutive delight is revered as the "miracle berry". And with good reason. Its benefits range from memory and vision protection to slowing the aging process.

In studies conducted at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, blueberries trumped 39 other common fruits and vegetables in antioxidant ability. While blueberries do provide the antioxidant vitamin C, they're bursting with even more powerful phyotnutrients -anthocyanins -which are to credit for blueberries deep blue hue.

And although they're sweet, you won't get a spike. Blueberries rank a low 53 on the glycemic index (more importantly, with a low glycemic load of just 6.5) , provide a mere 7 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber and 8 grams of net carbs per one-half cup. With a healing food this delicious, you can satisfy your sweet tooth and balance your blood sugar, too. Add these parcels of protection to your diet with our delicious recipes and these quick ideas:

Breakfast "Cereal": Add thawed blueberries to shredded coconut and chopped walnuts for a grain-free muesli
Blended Bliss: Toss blueberries in a blender with your favorite protein powder (try Jay Robb's Egg or Whey Protein) and a cup of water for an antioxidant rich smoothie
Pancake Toppers: Heat blueberries in a small saucepan to make a nutrient-packed topping for Primal Pancakes

Slash Your Risk of Alzheimer's by 60%...
Just Eating This Once a Week!

This food is so powerful at protecting the brain, a recent study published in the Archives of Neurology found that people who ate just one serving a week had a 60% less risk of Alzheimer’s than those who never ate it.

See p. 20 of Fats That Heal, Fats That Harm to learn more and then find hundreds of recipes with this brain-boosting ingredient on our website.

Click here to learn more...

Bickford PC, Gould T, Briederick L, Chadman K, Pollock A, Young D, Shukitt-Hale B, Joseph J Antioxidant-rich diets improve cerebellar physiology and motor learning in aged rats Brain Res 2000 Jun 2;866(1-2):211. Ghosh, D., McGhie, T. K., Zhang, J., Adaim, A., Skinner, M.,Effects of anthocyanins and other phenolics of boysenberry and blackcurrant as inhibitors of oxidative stress and damage to cellular DNA in SH-SY5Y and HL-60 cells. Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture 2006 January (in press).

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