Inside LivingFuel: Wild Blueberries

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Posted on 21st January 2013 by admin in Super Health

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How remarkable that the most nutritious foods are the most colorful such as brightly colored fruits and vegetables-red bell peppers, green kale, yellow bananas, orange oranges and blue blueberries!  WILD BLUEBERRIES are one of the most nutrient dense fruits on earth, rich in nourishing flavonoids and phytochemicals.  In fact, the USDA Human Nutrition Center ranks blueberries as number one in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other fruits and vegetables.

Here’s some other interesting facts about these nutritional powerhouses:

  • Wild blueberries, unlike cultivated blueberries, are not planted, but grown on low bushes naturally in Maine, Atlantic Canada, and Quebec.
  • Wild blueberries are one of only three berries native to North America (the others are Concord grapes and cranberries).
  • Wild blueberries, smaller and more compact than cultivated blueberries, also contain more of the powerful antioxidants anthocyanins.
  • Wild blueberries are low in sugar and calories, high in fiber, and contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, zinc, potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium.
  • In a study published in last month’s issue of the medical journal Circulation, the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who ate at least three servings of blueberries and strawberries per week had significantly fewer heart attacks.  These berries contain high levels of flavonoids andanthocyanins that have shown positive cardiovascular benefits in previous research studies.

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Holiday Health Challenge Tip!

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Posted on 29th November 2011 by admin in Holiday Health Challenge

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What natural antioxidants work well against different free radicals? Research shows that plant-based (botanical) antioxidants can provide broad-spectrum protection against these radicals. However, plant sources of antioxidants seem to “specialize.” A botanical source (such as blueberry, tomato, cocoa, or green tea) generally has high concentrations of a particular family of antioxidant compounds (such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, proanthocyanidins, or flavonoids). These compounds tend to perform better against some radicals than others.

Here are some general guidelines:

Anthocyanins—peroxyl
Flavonoids—superoxide anion
Carotenoids—singlet oxygen
Proanthocyanidins (PACs)—superoxide anion and hydroxyl

KC Craichy
Author
The Super Health Diet