Immune Boosting Blueberry (Facts and Recipes!)

Looking for a quick way to boost your immune system? Take a fresh look at the blueberry! This well-loved tiny super-food is bursting with flavonoids, vitamins, fiber, magnesium and more.

Easy to obtain year-round, blueberries offer exceptional taste without any added sugar.  A terrific snack food for anyone who wants to pack a big punch of healthy goodness in their day.

Right now, it’s more important than ever to boost our immune systems and find ways to infuse healthier choices into our daily diets. One cup of blueberries has less than 100 calories, and offers one-quarter of your daily requirement for Vitamin C.

Big benefits of this sweet little berry

The list of health benefits from eating blueberries is stacking up, and there aren’t many parts of your body that couldn’t benefit from a little extra blueberry goodness.

Science Daily touts blueberries as a brain booster, too, capable of “improving cognition.” Brain benefits acquired from ingesting this simple fruit include the potential for increasing the ability of neurons to communicate. Blueberries may also assist in preventing memory loss; something that is becoming more and more of a concern in this modern age.

Better vision is another benefit associated with consumption of blueberries, due to the fact that they contain compounds called anthocyanosides and flavonoids, which can slow down visual loss, as well as help prevent macular degeneration, myopia, and cataracts. Blueberries also have some heavy molecules which can help prevent urinary tract infections by washing away harmful bacteria.

Another important antioxidant is anthocyanins, known to benefit the prevention of heart disease and good cardiovascular health. Blueberries have been found to contain even more anthocyanins than red wine, long thought to be one of the better sources of this defender against free radicals. Even varicose veins and peptic ulcers can benefit from the antioxidants found in these super berries.

Best ways to enjoy blueberries

There are so many ways to enjoy this mighty super-fruit. Eat by the handful or add to your favorite dishes. I often simply eat blueberries for breakfast or add them to my smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.

Looking for something a little more interesting? Toss a cup of blueberries in a small bowl with a little ground cinnamon, walnuts, and fresh unsweetened organic coconut for crazy-delicious mid-day or after dinner dessert.

Eating blueberries with nuts like walnuts or almonds (other known brain food immune system booster) can create a synergistic effect. Other ideal pairings for blueberries are:

• Salmon (preferably wild)
• Avocado
• Beans
• Whole grains
• Pomegranates
• Other berries
• Citrus fruits
• Dark chocolate (mmmm-m-m-m!)
• and, do not forget spices, such as: Curcumin, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon.

How to select the best blueberries

With so many health benefits, the question is not whether to eat blueberries, but how to eat them. First, you need to pick good specimens. Choose blueberries that are firm and uniform in color, not dull-looking or watery.

In fact, water will cause the berries to spoil more quickly, so they should be kept in dry containers in the refrigerator. For this reason, you’ll also want to dry blueberries thoroughly after you wash them.

If you can’t buy fresh, buy frozen. When you want to eat them, just thaw and enjoy. If frozen blueberries are used in cooking, you can thaw them or throw them into the recipe frozen and just adjust your cooking time slightly.

You’ll find blueberry recipes in every section of a cookbook. From breakfast to breads, salads to sauces, and desserts to drinks, blueberries can be enjoyed from morning to night. Even without a cookbook handy, you can eat blueberries very simply as a ‘one ingredient’ super-food snack.

Blueberry recipes to enjoy

If you are looking for a few fun ways to add blueberries to your diet, check out these recipe ideas

• Wild Blueberry Maple Balsamic Dressing
• Wild Blueberry Honey Breakfast Bread with Wild Blueberry Honey Compote Recipe
• Blueberry Ginger Sauce
• Berry Mango Salsa

If you’re looking for an easy to eat super-food loaded with not only nutrition, but flavor and versatility, get to know this beautiful berry. Perfect as a snack, a dessert, or any number of dishes, blueberries definitely earn their place in your kitchen, and your healthy diet.