What are the Health Benefits of Blueberries in Your Food

 What are the Health Benefits of Including Blueberries in Your Diet?

Used a Canva.com frame

Previously the health benefits of apples in your daily food intake were addressed as the post for letter A. 

This post touches on the food and nutritional values of Blueberries. 

• The history of Blueberry fruit

• A product of South Africa

• Its Nutritional value

• Health benefits.

• And my food choices

History

The first cultivated crop of Blueberry started in America only in 1920.  But it has a long history with the Native Americans who used it as a forage crop thousands of years prior.  They had eaten them fresh in seasons, dried them and stored them for winters. Made widespread use of the plant's roots, stems, leaves, and flowers for medicinal purposes. 

Currently, the United States accounts for more than half of the products globally. The commercial cultivation of the plant there hadn't taken off until 1920.  The name associated with that is Elizabeth White, daughter of a New Jersey Cranberry farmer who got enthused in berry cultivation in the 1890s.  No sooner than the researchers established its health benefit, the commercial production of the fruit bloomed globally. 

Commercial Production in South Africa

The plant production was initially restricted in the high-chilling Free State region in South Africa.  With the arrival of the law chilling varieties in 2010, the cultivation spread to more provinces.  The farmers increased production by targeting local and international demands.  Now over 50 per cent of the berries are produced in the Western Cape. 

The picture was taken from pexel.com

Nutritional Contents

Blueberries have unique nutritional contents - one cup provides 84 calories, 0.7 grams of protein, 21,4 grams of carbohydrates, and 1,1 grams of fibre. It is an excellent source of vitamins, C&D and the mineral manganese.

Health benefits.

Blueberries are called a 'Superfood' because they can help to ward off chronic maladies like cancer, heart issues, Cholesterol and more.  May improve brain function and may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's sickness.

It is a rich source of antioxidants and protects the body from free radicals that cause chronic problems like cancer and heart problems.  May lower blood pressure and better cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.  

Me and Food choices.

I was eating tasty foods without considerable awareness, being influenced by cultural habits, but sparingly fast foods. Then I got an alert for making informed food choices when someone in the family suddenly got affected by health issues. My daughter advised me on the nutritional benefits of this 'super food'; she stored them in packets in my freezer.  

Blueberries were not among my staple food.  I grew up when global marketing wasn't occurring, unlike now when food produced in one part of the world is available anywhere through exports and imports.  The new market system also brought awareness of nutrition, food habits, and health challenges.    

 Now I have no excuse for not consuming it regularly.  Have you ever made any changes in your food habits, and why?

NB: This post is for B in the series of my A2Z posts lasting for the entire month and is part of the A2Z Blog chatter challenge.