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Healthy Eating

Blueberries are increasingly being recognised as one of the most healthy foods available. We have included a sample of information and articles published on the subject.

Daily Telegraph, June 11 2005

"It's official: the blueberry is, the experts say, one of a select band of superfoods..., so called because they contain an unusually high quantity of vitamins and antioxidants. Research has shown that blueberries not only improve eyesight but can also protect against Alzheimer's, cancer and heart disease, while lowering cholesterol levels and slowing the ageing process. As if this were not enough, their inclusion in the fashionable GI diet, which is based on foods that break down slowly in the body, has ensured that demand has rocketed."

Daily Telegraph, August 24 2004

"A substance found in blueberries can cut harmful cholesterol as effectively as a commercial drug, and has the potential of fewer side effects"

The following extracts on the health benefits of blueberries are taken from Jennifer Trehane's book "Blueberries, Cranberries & other Vacciniums", published in association with the Royal Horticultural Society in 2004 by Timber Press, Cambridge ISBN 0-88192-615-9.

"The red, blue or violet plant pigments in the skin of vaccinium fruit are due to the presence of organic chemicals. Scientists give these chemicals a variety of names, but the term "Polyphenols" covers them as a general term. They provide a range of health benefits, acting primarily as antioxidants, which mop up harmful free radicals but also act in other ways, from having some antibacterial and antiviral action, to anticarciogenic, anitangiogenic and anitallergenic actions. Free radicals are produced by the normal process of converting oxygen into energy in the cells of the body, and the toxins associated with them are normally disposed of by a healthy body. However, when produced in excess or not removed efficiently, they can be highly destructive and destroy the outer membranes of healthy cells, causing degeneration and death of cells in tissues where they are active. This imbalance is called oxidative stress and is more common in today's polluted society than in the past. Antioxidants combine with free radicals and render them harmless.

"Glutathione is an important agent in the body, active in preventative functions, helping to repair damaged DNA. In the liver it is used in great quantities to detoxify carcinogens and other toxins to which the body is constantly exposed. Its levels are boosted by polyphenols, including those provided by blueberries. In addition to polyphenols, blueberries and other berries contain ellagic acid, which is a powerful anticarcinogen. People suffering from age-related diseases tend to have low glutathione levels, and animal studies have shown that by raising those levels, the life span of the animals was increased. In addition to combating disesase, chemicals present in blueberriescan have the benefit of delaying other effects of aging. It is thourght that they may increase the flexibility of cell membranes, which can help combat inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Polyphenols also boost the activity of viamin C, which in turn increases the levels of vitamin E"

Jennifer Trehane then paraphrases part of a book by Pierre Jean Cousin, "Food is Medicine"

".....blueberries have powerful antibacterial action in the intestine, especially on coli bacteria, and they promote healing of gastric ulcers. Mild diabetes sufferers should also eat plenty of blueberries. He also recommends a blueberry decoction for diarrhoea, colitis and poor nights vision, as a mouthwash for sore throats and ulcers and as a face wash for eczema sufferers. He simply boils 70g of blueberries in 1Ltr of water till the volume of water is halved, then strained, cooled and bottled. He uses either cranberry or blueberry juice to prevent or treat urinary tract infections such as cystitis".

Jennifer Trehane writes: ".... the conclusion must be that if you eat at least half a cup of blueberries per day you should benefit in terms of general health and a delay in the onset of degenerative diseases associated with aging. If you use your eyes a lot, a diet rich in blueberries should help combat tired eyes and, if you suffer from urinary infections, non-sweetend cranberry or blueberry juice acts as a useful antibacterial agent"