Examining the properties and nutritional value of blueberries
We use blueberry mostly for its taste, it is not the body that gets to know its properties. This fruit is not only of high nutritional value, but also has many healing properties, we will talk more about this later.
Blueberry grows in the form of a tree or shrub by the stream or in the bushes and is considered separate from the group of flowering plants and is called cornelian cherry in English. Blueberry flowers are yellow in clusters and have a lot of nectar for honey bees. It has bright green leaves with sharp tips. Its fruit is oval in shape and about the size of a big cherry and has a sour and sweet taste. The color of its fruit is red. The blueberry shrub lives for about 300 years and reaches 8 meters in about 25 years. This tree generally has a height of about 84 meters. Its wood is very strong and is also used in industry.
Blueberries grow in a wide area of Europe, Asia, especially Iran, Armenia and the Caucasus. The place where this plant grows in Iran is in the forests of Arsbaran, Alborz mountains, Alamut region, Queen Qazvin and in the forests between Mazandaran and Gilan. Qazvin and Rudbar region, especially on the border of Alborz, are the largest producers and exporters of blueberries in the country. Its unripe fruit is very sour due to its high acid content, but its ripe fruit is dark red in color and delicious and sweet. This fruit is available in summer and is usually consumed fresh, but it is also used in dry form, jam, preserves, pickles, juice, sauce, nectar, jelly, marmalade, vinegar, lavash and antioxidant tablets. .
Nutritional value of blueberries
This fruit contains large amounts of iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamins E, B1, B2, C and flavonoids. Blueberry contains more than 10% tannin, sugar, pectin, organic acids and pigments. This delicious fruit is low in calories and does not cause weight gain. This fruit is also a good source of fiber. Anthocyanin present in blueberries is a pigment from the flavonoid group that is responsible for the red color in tomatoes and other fruits. Cherry and cornelian cherry fruits contain high amounts of anthocyanins. About 17 antioxidant compounds have been extracted from the cherry family, including vitamins C and E and melatonin (antioxidants increase the body’s resistance to non-communicable diseases and prevent damage to cells and tissues. body and finally prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, cataracts, arthrosis, and arthritis.
Types of cancer
The nutrients in blueberries prevent the growth of lung cancers, colon (a part of the large intestine) and the proliferation of leukemia cells without affecting healthy cells. The unique properties of blueberries have a high ability to prevent the transmission of cancer in the body. To prevent cancer, blueberries should be consumed in their entirety, not just their extract. Also, the compounds in it are effective in preventing prostate, skin and lung cancer.
Heart disease
Eating blueberries helps reduce heart disease. The reason for this is the high level of natural antioxidant called anthocyanin, which is found in dark colored vegetables and fruits. In a long-term study of a number of women, it was found that the risk of heart disease was significantly reduced in women who followed a diet high in anthocyanins.
Lower cholesterol levels
Blueberries also help lower cholesterol levels. Polyphenols in blueberries lower blood cholesterol and are beneficial for heart health. Among commonly consumed fruits, blueberries have the highest level of polyphenols. Blueberries reduce bad blood cholesterol or LDL cholesterol and maintain good blood cholesterol or HDL cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Urinary tract infection and kidney stones
Taking blueberry extract is useful for preventing urinary tract infections. This is because blueberries acidify the urine, which contains an antibacterial agent called hippuric acid, as well as other compounds (some nutritionists believe that the defensive effects of blueberries are due to the presence of tannic acid, which is only found in blueberries and Hyacinth can be found that prevents bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder and causing infection, in other words, blueberry helps to remove bacteria from the body and prevents the growth and reproduction of bacteria and infection. It prevents Escherichia coli pathogenic bacteria from sticking to the wall of the urethra and causes it to be excreted through urine. Escherichia coli is responsible for 90% of urinary tract infections.
One of the most common infections is cystitis, which is especially common in women. It seems that the benzoic acid in blueberries also plays a role in creating these therapeutic and preventive properties; However, recent research suggests that this effect is probably due to the presence of a polymer in blueberries, the nature of which is still unknown. This unknown molecule prevents Escherichia coli from attaching to the wall of the bladder and urinary tract, thus preventing the growth and proliferation of bacteria and causing infection. Blueberries contain quinic acid, an unusual acid compound in the body that is not broken down but is excreted through the urine. Cranberry juice is effective for people with kidney stones and foul-smelling urine, because it has a significant effect on removing it by acidifying the urine, especially if the kidney stones are calcium. The presence of quinic acid reduces the amount of acid in the urine and also prevents the formation of stones by calcium and phosphate ions. In patients with recurrent kidney stones, drinking cranberry juice reduces ionized calcium in their urine by 50%.
Weight Loss
Blueberries are effective in weight loss in two ways: First, blueberries act as insulin regulators. This food item reduces the effect of insulin and the accumulation of fats and in the process of
It participates in the elimination of fats. Second, blueberries help eliminate toxins and fats that accumulate in body tissues. Accumulation of toxins and fats in body tissues is the cause of inflammation and water retention.
Infection and diarrhea
Blueberry is one of the fruits that prevent infection. Blueberry decoction is effective in the treatment of common diarrhea and dysentery, so you should mix a tablespoon of blueberry with a cup of cold water and boil it for 5 minutes and after 15 minutes of brewing, strain it. and drink 2 to 6 cups of it every day.
Other benefits
Abu Ali Sina, a famous scientist and physician, uses blueberry juice to wash skin wounds and its root powder to heal wounds. With all these beneficial properties, excessive consumption of blueberries can cause nausea, diarrhea, heartburn and headaches. The amount of fructose and glucose in blueberry is low, and its consumption does not cause problems for obese people and diabetic patients. Even the decoction of its leaves with strawberry flowers is effective for treating diabetes. The hormone melatonin in it makes the human sleep comfortable and deep. This action is done naturally and everyday. This hormone is responsible for regulating the body’s 24-hour day and night rhythm. Blueberries contain large amounts of melatonin. Cranberry skin is antipyretic and effective in relieving diarrhea. Even its fruit has an astringent effect, so eating it is effective in relieving diarrhea and gastritis.
To treat diarrhea, it is better to mix a tablespoon of cranberry soup with a cup of cold water and boil it for 5 minutes, strain it after 15 minutes and drink 2 to 6 cups every day. A researcher has shown that the decoction of cranberry skin is effective in treating malaria. A decoction of 60 grams of cranberry bark in one liter of water has an anti-malarial and anti-pyretic effect. The above decoction should be taken gradually in the morning, noon and night in the amount of 1 or 2 glasses with a little sugar. Cranberry is effective in blood clotting. Blueberry syrup is a thirst quencher. Drinking its syrup is very effective especially in summer to prevent heat stroke. There is a theory that blueberries are also useful for treating bedwetting in children.
For this purpose, pour 30 grams of its leaves in one liter of water and boil it until one third of it evaporates, and after straining, sweeten it with sugar and give 1 cup to the child before going to bed. Apart from all these wonderful results, another common and common factor in this research is the amount of blueberries you should consume on a daily basis. The best daily intake is half a cup. You can eat this amount of blueberries alone, mix them with other fruits or yogurt, or eat them with breakfast. Keep in mind that if you want to stay healthy and fit, you need to know that blueberries and other plant foods should be present in sufficient quantity in your daily diet.
source: Aftab