Fiber rich fruit: blueberries

Consumption of dietary fiber, especially viscous fibers has been associated with lower cholesterol levels and improved blood glucose and insulin levels. Dietary fiber usually refers to plant components that indigestible in the small intestine.

These benefits show that fiber consumption may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Blueberries are particularly strong because they are loaded with the soluble fiber that, like oatmeal, keeps the body feel fuller longer and keeps the blood sugar cholesterol levels from swinging wildly.

Blueberries contain both primary types of fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber.

According to USDA data one cup of berries supplies 3.6 g of total dietary fiber, or 14% of RDA.

Each of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber influences blood sugar in different ways.

Soluble fiber binds water in digestive tract to form a gel that will slow digestion that it will reduce the absorption as much starch or sugar. It promotes a slower, more controlled release of glucose into the blood stream.

The biological mechanism by which insoluble fiber protects against diabetes is unknown; however, in a small dietary intervention study indicates that insoluble fiber matters more in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, possibly by helping to improve insulin sensitivity.
Fiber rich fruit: blueberries

Blueberry reduces cholesterol

Blueberries, especially wild blueberries are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Cultivated blueberries are a very good source of antioxidants and fruit fiber.

The US Department of Agriculture in comparison of one hundred foods lists the blueberry as the best fruit sources of antioxidants.

Blueberries also high in soluble fiber, pectin which bind bile acids, resulting in reduced serum cholesterol. It prevents bile acid from being transformed into potentially cancer-causing form.

Binding of bile acids favors cholesterol excretion to affect plasma lipid balance beneficially and confer a cardio-protective benefit.

Antioxidants in blueberries prevent free radical damage to the body especially in the arteries where oxidized cholesterol deposits as plaque and can lead to atherosclerosis.

Pterostilbene is a potent antioxidant in blueberries has been shown to reduce heart disease by helping the liver metabolize cholesterol.

High concentration of antioxidant in blueberry may also reduce the risk of developing heart disease and cancer.
Blueberry reduces cholesterol

Blueberries: Health and Nutrition

Blueberries: Health and Nutrition
The American Indians valued will berries and called them “star berries” because their calyx form a five points star at the blossom of each berry.

Indian legends hold that the “Great Spirit” sent “starberries” to ward off hunger and disease during a great famine.

Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center report that blueberries rank among the highest in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Anthocyanin, the pigment that makes blueberries blue, is believed to play a major role in this antioxidant activity.

Blueberries contain a number of antioxidants. Chief among these includes:

• Beta Carotene
  
• Vitamins A and E
  
• Anthocyanins
  
• Ellagic acid
  
• Phenolic compounds
  
• Resveratrol

Pterostilbene, an antioxidant found primarily in blueberry, appear to set up the activity of cells in the liver that reduce the production of cholesterol and other artery-clogging fats.

Owing to their high antioxidant activity, blueberries are reported to:

• Slow age related loss in mental capacity
  
• Have a beneficial effect in memory behavioral learning and memory
  
• Improve eyesight and memory in the elderly
  
• Reduce the build up of LDL cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease an stroke
  
• Reduce risk of certain types of cancer
  
• Promote urinary tract health by preventing bacteria for adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract much in the same way as cranberries

Blueberries are available year around, but the best time to buy them is during the summer months. In order to become a regular part of the diet, it has to taste good. They don’t require much preparation; just rinse them and enjoy. It can be eaten plain or sprinkle a half cup of blueberries on the morning cereal.
Blueberries: Health and Nutrition

Blueberries as Herbal Medicine

Blueberries as Herbal Medicine
Blueberries have a rich folkloric history as an herbal medicine. At one time, a tea made by steeping the roots of the blueberry bush was thought to calm women during childbirth. Native Americans credited blueberry juice and syrup a cure for coughs. Scandinavians used dried blueberries to treat children with diarrhea.

Lately scientific evidence emerging from labs all over the country tells us that blueberries are potent little disease warriors. These blue beauties are packed with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins – the pigment that makes them blue – and other flavonoids, including condensed tannins. In fact, when compared with the antioxidants in dozens of other fruits and vegetables, those in blueberries have a greatest capacity to destroy unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals. Without antioxidants, free radicals careen around the body attacking cells and causing damage that paves the way for cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants also may hamper the build-up of LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of blood clots that cause strokes.
Blueberries as Herbal Medicine