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Blueberry Antioxidant Properties that Keep You HealthyBlueberry antioxidant properties may be the answer to age-related disease! Studies show that eating a cup of delicious, low calorie, high fiber blueberries every day can help protect you against the damaging effects of free radicals and chronic disease associated with getting older.
A cup of this “superfood” contains 14mg of Vitamin C and and .08 grams of Vitamin E. Blueberries also have a high level of iron and have a relatively low glycemic load which is great for people watching their intake of sugar.
Of course, you want to make sure you choose organic blueberries to avoid the health problems and risks associated with using chemical fertilizers and herbicides. Research has shown that adding blueberries to your diet may lower blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and may also prevent urinary tract infections. The color of blueberries might be the key component to it’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The Director of the USDA Nutrition Research Center Jim Joseph did a study of rats who were fed a cup of blueberries a day to see how it affected them. He reported that it slowed age-related loss in mental activity and that the rats performed better than the rats in the control group in motor behavioral learning and memory. Hmm, I wonder if they were fed this Blueberry Smoothie recipe.
Blueberry Citrus Smoothie1 cup blueberries, slightly thawed or 2 quarts fresh blueberries1/2 cup pineapple, orange, and strawberry juice blend or pineapple-orange juice 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
Mix ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Serve immediately in a tall glass and garnish with blueberry skewers spiraled with a thin strip of orange peel. One serving.
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