Not only are they delicious and cute as a button, blueberries are super duper good for you, fending off heart disease, cancer, and ageing! Wild blueberries are particularly good for you with double the antioxidant content as those you’ll find on the supermarket shelves. They also contain vitamins K, C, manganese and fibre.

Here are 7 great reasons from Green Med Info to get stuck into them every day of the week:

1. They stop heart attacks

Research has shown women eating three serves of blueberries or strawberries per week reduced their heart attack risk by one third. A diet rich in any other fruits or vegetables just doesn’t compare.

2. Lower blood pressure

Results published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed a significant reduction in blood pressure in women taking blueberry powder after just eight weeks. In addition, the blueberry powder reduced arterial stiffness, a predictor of cardiovascular risk, by an average 6.5%. The beneficial results were due to an increase in nitric oxide which increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure.

3. Vascular Health

Similar to the above, just one cup of blueberry goodness will start having an immediate effect on how well your system is circulating blood. Researchers from England and Germany found blueberry polyphenols (chemical compounds which help the human body fight disease) improved blood vessel flow.

4. Prevent Cancer

Daily blueberries increase the white blood cells critical to immune system defence by scanning and destroying abnormal cells before they can develop into cancers. Research also shows that blueberries are rich in antioxidants that neutralize free radicals that can cause cell damage.

5. Protect Lungs

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who ate more servings of blueberries had an almost 40% less decline in lung function. That’s gotta make you breathe a little easier!

6. Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Another study by The Journal of Nutrition found compounds in blueberries that improved insulin sensitivity. Low insulin sensitivity leads to loads of health problems, but after six weeks of taking blueberry bioactives, insulin sensitivity was four times better then the placebo group.

7. Keep Your Brain Young

Yep, blueberries can slow brain aging by up to 2.5 years. It even works for young people, whose cognitive tests improved after a simple blueberry drink. #winning!

Article by Karina Eastway.