Blueberries for your health
Recent research shows that blueberries, besides being a tasty and attractive fruit, have health benefits greater than most other fruits.
To begin with the basics: one cup of blueberries provides 4 grams of fiber, 85 milligrams of potassium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, about 30% of the daily requirement of vitamin C, and 80 calories. They also contain vitamin A, in addition to beta- carotene; folic acid; and ellagic acid. No fat, no cholesterol and a very small amount of sodium.
Pint for pint, these little blue jewels may contain more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.
The most powerful health-promoting compounds in blueberries are anthocyanins, phytochemicals that belong to the flavonoid family. Besides combatting the free-radical damage linked to heart disease and cancer, anthocyanins may boost brainpower.
Antioxidants, which are believed to have an important role in preventing cancer and heart disease and delaying the aging process, are the big news from recent blueberry research. Studies show that blueberries blue skins contain anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant. One researcher found that "blueberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidant phytonutrients of the fresh fruits and vegetables we have studied."
Prevention of urinary tract infections: a study has confirmed that the compounds in cranberries that help prevent urinary tract infections are also contained in blueberries and other members of the blueberry family.
More details are available at http://www.webcom.com/bberry/ the website of the North American Blueberry Council, which also provides a lot of other information about blueberries.
AND MOST OF ALL THEY JUST TASTE GOOD.
Have not tried all these recipes YET, some are on my to do next list. ENJOY
BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST BAKE
BLUEBERRY & WHITE CHOC MUFFINS (Nestles)
BLUEBERRY STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE
BLUEBERRY WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES
