Health Benefits: Antioxidants

New Research Shows Wild Blueberries Still #1

Recently published USDA research confirms that a serving of Wild Blueberries delivers more antioxidant power than 20 different fruits and berries - including cultivated blueberries. For the first time, the USDA evaluated both Wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush) blueberries in its antioxidant study and found that Wild topped its cultivated cousins by 48%. A serving of Wild Blueberries also outranked a serving of cranberries, strawberries, prunes and raspberries in terms of antioxidant capacity.

Antioxidants are important because of their potential to protect against oxidative cell damage that can lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and heart disease. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of blue-purple foods like Wild Blueberries have been linked with the potential to protect against diseases and the effects of aging.

According to Dr. Ronald Prior, lead researcher on the study from the USDA Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center and Agricultural Research Service, “Wild Blueberries are stars in terms of their antioxidant capacity… This is the most comprehensive study of antioxidant capacity, using the most advanced technologies, and will serve as an important benchmark for future fruit and vegetable research.”

Scientists attribute the high antioxidant capacity of Wild Blueberries to anthocyanin, the phytonutrient responsible for the berry’s deep blue color. The new USDA findings support previous studies indicating that Wild Blueberries are consistently higher than cultivated blueberries in anthocyanin, as well as total phenolics and antioxidant capacity.

* Source Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004. 52: 4026-4037