A healthy diet able to protect our health is a varied and balanced diet that, without excess, regularly includes foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. There is no superfood that, if ingested in high quantities, puts everything in its place, but many foods that work in synergy, every day, like so many players in an orchestra. And blueberries are definitely to be included in this scenario. As emerges from very recent scientific studies, in fact, blueberries counteract free radicals, improve cognitive function and mood, protect the microbiota and strengthen the immune system (Bell et al, Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr, Nov 2020 - Zhao et al, Front Physiol, Feb 2021).
Whether they are fresh or frozen blueberries, in juice form or as a whole fruit, blueberries are beneficial for health at all ages, even in children and elderly, always. The strength of blueberries, as shown by the researches, is that they act with different mechanisms that have greater or lesser importance in different ages. In fact, the polyphenols in blueberries counteract free radicals, with protective effects that have a greater impact on adults and the elderly and less on children. Not only that, blueberries have been shown to act on the microbiota, ensuring a higher diversification of the bacterial population, increasing the defenses of the gut and counteracting inflammation. In fact, regular intake of blueberries reduces inflammation indicators while increasing the number of NK cells, or natural killer, which are immune system cells considered essential for the body response to the attack of viruses and their clearance from the body. Blueberries contribute to neuroplasticity and the synthesis of neurons, help regulate glucose and protect the elasticity of blood vessels. All these mechanisms together make blueberries a food capable of acting for well-being throughout all the lifespan.
For example, in children and young adults, even one administration of blueberry juice has been observed to improve cognitive performance and memory. Not only that, a single dose of blueberries has always been shown to improve mood. Studies are currently underway to evaluate the long-term benefits that a prolonged intake of blueberries can have. But, as mentioned, all age groups can benefit from blueberries. For example, the consumption of blueberries among the elderly is associated with a slowdown in age-related cognitive decline and a daily supplement of blueberries has been shown to increase neuronal activity.
