For several years now, there has been talk about the health benefits of eating blueberries, especially because of their high antioxidant content. However, their properties go far beyond this attribute.
Considered a superfood, blueberries contain anthocyanidins and phenolic compounds, which inhibit free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease, and cancer, especially ovarian cancer.
As early as the 1940s, during World War II, recommendations were made to consume blueberries to improve the night vision of RAF pilots, thanks to their effect on rods, photoreceptor cells that are key to night and peripheral vision.
Later studies by the USDA’s Neuroscience Laboratory confirmed their benefits for memory and motor function, showing a powerful positive effect. In 2016, a study by the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center found that regular consumption of blueberries reduces the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and improves the quality of life of affected patients. It has also been shown that consuming blueberries in middle age reduces the risk of dementia.
Key benefits
Blueberries not only taste good, they are also rich in fiber and tannins, which help reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and improve digestion. They are also rich in vitamins A, C, and some B vitamins, as well as manganese, an essential mineral for the human body.
It is a fat- and sodium-free food that has a direct impact on glycemic control in young but sedentary people, resulting in significant clinical improvement in overweight men with type 2 diabetes.
Its high palatability and versatility of use, as well as its multiple health benefits, both digestive and neurological and immunological, confirm its growing and sustained consumption worldwide.
The fruit everyone wants to grow and eat
“This is the only fruit whose demand for consumption is growing at double digits per year,” says Sebastián Ochoa, director of CASM Blueberries. The consultant explains that there is currently an increase in plantations in both the northern and southern hemispheres, so the balance between the domestic season and imports “is quite positive in the sense that consumers want to eat blueberries all year round.”
Ochoa adds that there has been an overall increase in consumption in domestic markets. He cites Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico as examples, where he advises blueberry plantations. “We are also starting to provide consulting services for domestic markets in countries such as Iran, Lebanon, and India. In China, blueberries are all the rage, and it’s all because of their health benefits. Since universities and research centers began conducting studies in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there has been a huge increase in consumption.”
