Blueberry, tiny fruit with gigantic nutrition properties. (Image via: Benefits of Blueberry)

Blueberry for Your Heart

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Editorial
Opinion
Jun 23, 2019
2422
If you have underestimated blueberry for its small size, do apologize. Regardless of its size, blueberry is a small house storing a great amount of nutrition. It has fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and phytonutrient content; hence, it is healthy for your bones, heart, mind, beauty, and for your blood pressure as well. Name one thing that this small, little, blue fella does not cover.

However, from all of these nutritional properties, we would like to emphasize the property of blueberry that prevents you from heart diseases.

From the explanation above, you can determine that by eating blueberries, heart disease and diabetes can be prevented. But, we are here to show you how it is useful for the people who face a higher risk to heart disease, either due to their lifestyle or their genetic property, according to a research conducted by joint researchers from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK, and Harvard, US.

Taking samples of 115 people from ages ranging from 50-75 years old, they specified that these people had to be either overweight, obese, or has metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome can be type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, excess fat, high cholesterol triglycerides, and high level of blood sugar.

These people then were divided into group and had to consume either of these 3 things: 1 group took 1 cup of frozen blueberry daily, 1 group took half cup of frozen blueberry daily, and the group that took placebo medicines.

The result is evident. The group that took 1 cup of blueberry daily showed that their arteries are less stiffened and improvement in vascular function. The researchers highlighted the property of anthocyanin – which gives blue, red, and black pigment on the fruit - in the blueberry alleviates stiffness and inflammation from arteries; hence, they relax. Collaborating with fiber, anthocyanin also improves cholesterol levels.

In English, it means that blueberry certainly does prevent heart disease by 12-15%. Nonetheless, the researcher noted that blueberry consumption does not do anything to modify blood pressure or improve insulin sensitivity.

We do suggest that blueberry should be added to your healthy diet to prevent any cardiovascular disorder, especially for people who are prone to heart diseases. In addition, we also noted that blueberry is good when it is combined with frozen yogurt. You’re welcome.

Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/study-finds-one-cup-of-blueberries-per-day-lowers-risk-for-cardiovascular-disease_2961025.html

Health , Diet , Nutrition , Blueberry , Cardiovascular , Diabetes , Heart-disease , Prevention , Lifestyle