From fresh to frozen, there’s a lot to be said about the humble blueberry. While they are great in desserts and smoothies, there is a lot more to blueberries than you may think.
Like most other fruits, there are many benefits to blueberries when it comes to your everyday health. Let’s take a look at five benefits of blueberries, and why they’re a great fruit choice to incorporate into your healthy lifestyle.
1. Skin Health
One of the things that your skin relies on the most is vitamin C, which supports collagen, a big component of your skin that helps it stay healthy. Vitamin C is a powerful nutrient that can boost your skin collagen levels and help protect it against external factors like smoke, pollution, and sun.
Blueberries have a high level of naturally occurring vitamin C, so they’re a great source to make sure your skin stays nice and healthy.
2. Naturally Gluten-Free
You may have recently been experiencing some issues with your diet, and you’re not too sure what’s going on. Life is busy, though, and you haven’t been able to make a trip to the doctors yet to work out exactly what the problem is.
More and more people are discovering that they require a gluten-free diet. Because blueberries are naturally gluten-free, they’re a great addition to snacks or meals if you’re thinking about going gluten-free. If you’re not sure whether you are or not and don’t have time to make a doctor’s appointment, we suggest taking an at-home gluten test to determine whether you’re allergic or not.
3. Improving Your Mental Health
Our brains are complex, which means that there are many different things that contribute to mental health – whether it’s positive or negative. Interestingly, blueberries have shown that they can be linked to a reduction in cognitive decline in women who are older.
It must be something to do with the fact that blueberries contain a high amount of antioxidants. When you’re fueling your body and your mind with healthy, whole foods, you can get the nutrition required to keep your brain and body functioning as they should.
4. May Lower Blood Pressure
If blood pressure is something that you have worried about at some point, then you may want to consider including more blueberries in your diet. Blueberries may be able to reduce your blood pressure if you’re committed to eating them as regularly as possible.
Blueberries can have a similar effect on postmenopausal women, as well.
5. Blueberries Can Help with Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary Tract Infections, or UTIs, are more common than you may think. While it is commonly known that cranberry juice can help prevent medical issues like this, blueberries can also be just as effective. This is most likely because the two are closely related.
Incorporating blueberries into your daily diet may not seem like too dramatic of a shift, but when you start to realize the benefits involved, you may just want to do it even more. Blueberries are a great option to be included in a healthy, well-balanced diet.