The healthy blueberries are often referred to as the powerhouses among fruits. Here’s what you should know about blueberries and what makes them so healthy.
There are two different types of blueberries: wild blueberries and cultivated blueberries. Wild blueberries are richer in healthy nutrients than cultivated blueberries. You can collect the wild berries mainly in the forest and in heath and moorland. It is unlikely that you can become infected with the fox tapeworm through wild berries. Researchers from the University of Ulm found that the highest risk of infection is through direct contact with foxes or through transmission through dogs that have become infected.
What you should consider when buying blueberries
The blueberry season runs from June to the end of September. Because blueberries go moldy quickly, you should eat them—or freeze them—as soon as possible after purchasing or harvesting them. When buying blueberries, also pay attention to organic quality: Cultivated blueberries from conventional cultivation are usually contaminated with synthetic pesticides.
In winter you don’t have to do without the healthy berries. They are also available off-season in frozen or dried form.
Blueberries as a healthy source of nutrients
Blueberries contain many healthy ingredients. In addition to numerous dietary fibers, the berries contain the following nutrients:
carotene
Vitamin A
vitamin C
vitamin E
iron
magnesium
calcium
potassium
Blueberries owe their blue color to the pigment myrtilline. Myrtilline is one of the anthocyanins – these are secondary plant substances that have an anti-inflammatory and blood-forming effect. They also help the body to trap and neutralize free radicals.
Getting high in anthocyanins in your diet can slow down the skin’s aging process – helping to prevent wrinkles. The anthocyanin in blueberries is also said to be useful as a cancer prophylaxis.
Furthermore, blueberries contain healthy tannins, which are particularly found in blueberry juice. They help with diarrhea and kill harmful bacteria and viruses. Blueberry Nut Juice is a juice made from 100 percent blueberries. The healthy ingredients of the berries are thus retained as far as possible.
Good to know: 100 grams of blueberries contain only 36 calories.
Also healthy: tea made from blueberry leaves
Blueberry leaves also have health benefits. If you brew a tea from them, it helps with the following diseases, for example:
stomach pain
Diarrhea
bladder weakness
inflamed eyes (put compresses soaked in tea on them)
Rashes (wash gently with the cooled tea)
To prepare the blueberry leaf tea, pour 1/4 liter of boiling water over two teaspoons of blueberry leaves and let the tea steep for ten minutes. Strain it and drink a cup morning, noon and night.
Important: Do not drink the tea regularly, but only in case of acute symptoms.
