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There has been a longstanding belief in natural medicine that there are certain foods that provide more than just dietary value and are believed to have disease-fighting and healing properties.

One of these foods that has been studied and proven to be, among other things, a tasty way to fill up on antioxidants, is the blueberry.

In recent USDA studies, blueberries have, in fact, been shown to be number one in antioxidant activity, as compared to 40 other fruits and vegetables (Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University).

Blueberries have been shown to be good for:

• Decreasing your risk of cancer
• Preventing heart disease and stroke by reducing the build up of so-called "bad" cholesterol
• Guarding against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases
• Combating aging and reversing short term memory loss
• Relieving arthritis inflammation
• Fighting infection and strengthening the immune system
• Promoting urinary tract health
• Optimising vision health and reversing the causes of blindness

Probably the most nutrient-laden part of the blueberry is its skin. The dye released from the pigments in the skin of the blueberry, called anthocyanin is the source of the powerful antioxidants used by the body to fight off everything from cancer to heart disease.

But, before we go on, what are antioxidants?

Blueberries and Antioxidants

Antioxidants, by definition, are:

     "any of various substances (as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and alpha-tocopherol) that inhibit oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides and that include many held to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free radicals."

What this means is that antioxidants, like those found in blueberries, fight off toxic forms of oxygen.

These destructive elements have been linked to at least 60 chronic diseases, as well as to aging itself. Oxygen "free radicals," which can attack DNA, can also cause DNA to mutate; this mutation is often a starting point for cancer.

A recent study involving rats has also shown blueberries to be helpful in slowing down or stopping memory loss and improving short-term memory. In the study, one group of rats was fed a diet high in blueberry content, while the other group was fed a diet of regular rat food. After 48 hours of exposure to unconcentrated oxygen, the regular food group of rats lost responsiveness in the neurotransmitters associated with short-term memory, while the blueberry group experienced no change. Blueberries are being proven to hold off some of the decline in short term memory loss associated with aging by increasing the ability of brain cells to transmit messages.

Blueberries and Age Related Diseases

Antioxidantal prowess, however, is not the blueberry's only claim to fame. Blueberries can also play a pivotal role in the prevention of vision loss.

Anthocyanosides, compounds found in blueberry extract, have been found in studies to decrease loss of sight.

Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey has discovered a compound in blueberries that has been shown to increase urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection. It works by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract.

The exciting news is that YOU can play a part in fighting off the ravages of these unhealthy toxins!

Loading up on high antioxidant foods, like blueberries, can significantly lower the effects of these free radicals. By supplying your cells with antioxidant food compounds, you can thwart the progress of unhealthy oxygen molecules and even repair some of their damage.