Blueberries - composition, beneficial properties and harm to health

Blueberries are the “queen” of northern latitudes. It includes about 100 species of various blueberry bushes and trees. Its distribution area is very wide: it grows in the forest-tundra, taiga, coniferous forests and sphagnum swamps of Europe and Asia, in the Caucasus mountains. The common blueberry, or myrtle-leaved blueberry, is the most common species of this genus. The largest variety of blueberry is a tree growing in the Caucasus mountains - Caucasian blueberry. This tree can reach up to 3 m in height, and its fruits do not have the same coloring properties as blueberries. Blueberries also grow in the forests of North America, but even there they are of Eurasian origin.

What does a common blueberry look like? This is a low-growing shrub that rarely reaches even half a meter in height. The blueberry bush blooms in late May–June, and the fruits ripen by the end of July–August. Its berries are round in shape, up to 8 mm in diameter, and are dark blue with a bluish tinge. The taste of the berries is sweet with pleasant sourness and a slight tartness.

All about the composition of blueberries

Content:

• All about the composition of blueberries
• Beneficial features
• Home remedies
• Dietary supplements and cosmetics
• Hazardous properties
• Use in cooking
• Preparation of blueberries
• Interesting things about blueberries
• conclusions

The benefits of blueberries have been known since time immemorial. The history of the use of blueberries in Rus' dates back to pagan times. It has always been a revered healing agent of shamans and healers. They endowed it with miraculous properties, based on their many years of experience.

The use of blueberries in modern medicine is based on the laboratory-established chemical composition of the berries and the proven effect of the detected substances on the functions of various human organs.

For example, to find out whether blueberries lower or increase blood pressure, a clinical study was conducted in which 80 patients took part. For eight weeks, they drank 1 glass of the juice of these berries twice a day. At the end of the experiment, it turned out that all participants' blood pressure levels decreased.

Why and how is this berry useful? The value of these wild berries lies in their unique composition. The fruits of blueberry bushes contain:

• tannins (gallocatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin);
• organic acids (gallic, acetic, tartaric, malic, citric, succinic, quinic, benzoic, lactic, oxalic);
• mono- and polysaccharides (glucose, fructose, sucrose, fiber, pectin);
• fatty acid;
• proteins and amino acids;
• flavonoids and antioxidants (anthocyanins, catechins, leukoanthocyanins, saponins);
• vitamins and vitamin-like substances (ascorbic acid, carotene, B vitamins, rutin);
• macro- and microelements (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, iodine, chlorine, sulfur).

The calorie content of blueberries is low: 100 g of berries contains 44 kcal. The low calorie content of berries makes it possible to include it in various diets.

In addition to berries, many useful substances are contained in the shoots, leaves and stems of blueberry bushes, so they are also successfully used to make a variety of therapeutic and prophylactic products.

The tannins contained in blueberries belong to the pyrocatechol group. Their high content in berries determines the astringent properties of blueberries. Getting on mucous membranes and wound surfaces, tannins cause partial coagulation of proteins, which leads to their drying and the formation of a protective film on their surface. The concentration of tannins increases in dry berries.

When consuming products containing organic acids, putrefactive and fermentation processes in the intestine are suppressed, as a result of which its own microflora is normalized. They are actively involved in various metabolic processes, due to which they normalize metabolism in the human body. Many organic acids stimulate the secretion of the salivary and other digestive glands and affect the acid-base balance. Some acids have antiseptic and antimicrobial properties.

Simple carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose) have energy properties, affect the speed of nerve impulses, and participate in the synthesis of cells and tissues of the body. An indigestible polysaccharide - cellulose (fiber) has a number of beneficial properties for the human body:

• absorbs (accumulates) toxic substances from the intestines, thus cleansing the intestines;
• reduces the rate of absorption of simple carbohydrates and cholesterol, which helps reduce their levels in the blood;
• retains water in the intestines, as a result of which the volume of its contents increases and the motility of the intestinal walls is stimulated.

Blueberries contain pectin, which has the ability to bind heavy metal salts and free radicals, which has a detoxifying effect on the body.

The fatty acids contained in blueberry juice are essential. They are represented mainly by mono- and polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which:

• improve the rheological properties of blood: reduce viscosity, increase blood fluidity;
• have an antioxidant effect;
• reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the blood;
• have hypotensive and anti-inflammatory effects.

The proteins contained in blueberries are sources of essential amino acids in the human body (leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine).

Blueberry anthocyanin flavonoids (neomirtillin, myrtillin, arbutin) have a hypoglycemic effect, which allows the berries to be consumed by diabetes mellitus and included in various antidiabetic preparations. Arbutin exhibits its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties in an alkaline environment, which is urine in various inflammatory diseases of the urinary system.

Anthocyanins, catechins and leukoanthocyanins are powerful antioxidants and angioprotectors, therefore they are good at restoring impaired microcirculation in tissues, in particular in the eye structures. The scientific literature contains information about the preventive anticancer effect of antioxidants in blueberry extract. Similar antioxidants are also found in blackberries, blue grapes, radishes, and red apples, but the leader in their concentration belongs to blueberries.

The fruits of the blueberry bush are rich in saponins, which have many beneficial therapeutic effects (mucolytic, diuretic, hypocholesterolemic, sedative), and also facilitate the absorption of certain medications when taken simultaneously.

Vitamins and minerals of berries have an immunostimulating effect, normalize metabolism, increase visual acuity, and restore the electrolyte balance of body fluids.

Berry for weight loss

Blueberries are among the most effective berries for weight loss.

It has the following effects:

• cleanses the body, in particular the intestines;
• improves metabolism;
• reduces feelings of hunger.

Blueberries cope well with all of the above tasks. And thanks to its fiber content, it prevents constipation.

In addition, due to their beneficial composition, blueberries saturate the body with essential minerals and vitamins, which are often lacking when following a diet.

Blueberry juice deserves special attention, as it tones muscles after workouts. Without sports and physical activity, it is difficult to achieve sustainable results in losing weight. Juice from berries not only tones muscles, but speeds up metabolism and reduces hunger. It is useful not only for women, but also for overweight men.

Advice! To effectively lose weight, you don’t need to eat exclusively berries, just follow your daily calorie intake and include smoothies, low-fat yoghurts and muesli with blueberries in your diet.

© pilipphoto — stock.adobe.com

Beneficial features

The health benefits of natural blueberries are undeniable. The unique balanced chemical composition of blueberry fruits, shoots and leaves determines a wide range of beneficial properties of this plant. These include:

• antibacterial;
• antiseptic;
• anti-inflammatory (suppresses foci of inflammation);
• immunomodulatory (stimulates the immune system);
• hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol in the blood);
• hypoglycemic (reduces blood glucose levels);
• hypotensive (reduces blood pressure);
• mucolytic (thin the sputum);
• astringents (dries the wound surface);
• antioxidant (prevents lipid peroxidation and cell damage by free radicals);
• hepatoprotective (protects liver cells);
• angioprotective (protects vascular walls);
• improving microcirculation in tissues;
• hematopoietic (increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood);
• anti-burn;
• wound healing;
• sedatives.

This range of beneficial properties makes it possible to use blueberries or products made from them internally as one of the means of complex treatment:

• eye diseases (cataracts, night blindness, uveitis, retinopathy);
• diseases of the cardiovascular system (atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, thrombosis, varicose veins);
• iron deficiency anemia;
• metabolic disorders (type 2 diabetes mellitus, gout, obesity);
• neurological pathologies (senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease);
• inflammation of the oral cavity and pharynx (stomatitis, gingivitis, tonsillitis);
• kidney diseases (urolithiasis, chronic pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis);
• diseases of the digestive tract (stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas).

Blueberries have an effective effect on stool. At the same time, you need to know how to eat the berries so that they have the desired effect. Whether blueberries will strengthen or weaken depends on the method of harvesting the raw materials:

• fresh berries are indicated for constipation, as they increase intestinal motility;
• dried berries help against diarrhea because they reduce intestinal motility.

External use of products containing blueberry raw materials is indicated for:

• inflammatory processes on the skin;
• age-related changes in the skin (aging, sagging, aging skin);
• scarring changes on the skin;
• varicose veins;
• hyperpigmentation.

Regular consumption of blueberries has been proven to help against cancer (reduces the incidence of blood, breast and colon cancer) due to their high antioxidant content.

Home remedies

Fresh berries can be used as a home remedy. It has been established by evidence that for adult eye health, the norm is to consume 50-150 mg of anthocyanins from food every day. This amount of these substances is contained in 15-20 g of fresh blueberries. Exceeding this daily amount does not increase the effect, but the likelihood of side effects, for example, darkening of tooth enamel, increases.

You can make eye drops from the juice of fresh berries. To prepare them, you need to mash 2 tablespoons of fruits in a porcelain bowl to obtain juice. The juice is filtered through cheesecloth or a fine sieve to remove seeds and diluted with sterile distilled water purchased at a pharmacy in a ratio of 1:2. The prepared solution must be poured into a boiled bottle. Keep refrigerated. These drops are used for diseases of the cornea or conjunctiva, instilling 2-4 drops of blueberry solution into each eye daily.

The juice of fresh berries can be used to make compresses on the skin for wounds or burns. The procedure should be performed daily at least three times a day.

You can make a compress from dried berries, similar to a compress from the juice of fresh berries. A blueberry extract is prepared for it: 100 g of dried berries are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, wrapped in a towel and left for half an hour, after which the infusion is boiled. After cooling, the broth is filtered and used for compresses.

When you have a cold and to strengthen your immune system, you can brew healthy blueberry tea, which can successfully replace regular black or green tea in the cold season. How to brew blueberry tea so that it remains healthy? To prepare it, pour 100 g of dried berries or leaves with one liter of water at room temperature, put on low heat and cook after boiling for 10 minutes. After this, the broth is wrapped and infused for half an hour. The drink turns out aromatic and healthy. To normalize sleep, you can drink this tea before bed with honey or mint.

Dietary supplements and cosmetics

The beneficial properties of blueberry raw materials are used by pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce all kinds of biologically active additives (dietary supplements). Biological products containing blueberry plant raw materials are intended for different groups of potential consumers and, as a rule, have a “narrow specialization”:

• for women (normalize the menstrual cycle, stimulate the female reproductive system);

• for men (increase potency, improve sperm quality);

• for pregnant women (reduce blood sugar levels, dull the feeling of hunger, increase hemoglobin in the blood);

• for diabetics (have a hypoglycemic and diuretic effect, strengthen the walls of blood vessels in the eyes and kidneys, reduce blood cholesterol levels in diabetes);

• for immunity (enrich the body with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants);

• for vision (improves microcirculation in the vessels of the retina, heals microtraumas of the cornea, saturates the body with “visual” vitamins A and );

• for blood (thin the blood, stimulate hemoglobin synthesis);

• for memory and normalization of sleep (improves cerebral circulation, slows down the aging process of neurons);

• for the heart (lower blood pressure, protect myocardial cells from damage by free radicals);

• for blood vessels (strengthens the walls of blood vessels, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, prevents thrombosis);

• for weight loss (enrich the body with vitamins and minerals, normalize stool during a diet).

For ease of use and dosage when taken orally, dietary supplements are available in the form of:

• blueberry tablets;

• capsules;
• dragee;
• syrups;
• extracts;
• concentrates;
• herbal teas

To enhance the effect of the beneficial substances of blueberries, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids and other beneficial substances are additionally added to the preparations.

Preparations with blueberries that are popular on the modern dietary supplement market include:

• “Evalar blueberry forte with zinc”;
• “Strix forte”;
• “Visivit”;
• “Doppelhertz active with lutein and blueberries”;
• “VIS blueberry extract”;
• “Flax fiber with blueberries”;
• dragee “Tentorium blueberry”;
• herbal tea “Gluconorm with blueberries”.

The composition of these products differs depending on the age, gender, physiological state of the consumer and the purpose of their use. How to drink these products so that they have a positive effect and do not cause poisoning, you must read the instructions attached to them. To be sure of the authenticity of these products, they must be purchased at a pharmacy.

Blueberries are also popular among cosmetics manufacturers. In the cosmetic field, based on substances obtained from blueberry raw materials, cosmetics are produced for the face, for the skin around the eyes, and for hair. These are all kinds of serums, oils, creams, masks, soaps, shower gels, shampoos for different skin and hair types. Most often, these products, in addition to substances from blueberry raw materials, contain additional components that are designed to enhance the effect of blueberries (for example, blueberry cream with hyaluronic acid and collagen for mature skin).

This demand for blueberries in cosmetics is explained by their ability to:

• relieve inflammation;
• regenerate skin;
• improve skin microcirculation;
• normalize lymphatic drainage from subcutaneous fat;
• soften and nourish the skin.

In addition to cosmetic products for hair and skin care, the beneficial properties of blueberries are also used by manufacturers of decorative cosmetics (for example, the use of blueberry seed oil in the production of lipstick).

Hazardous properties

Before using dietary supplements or other products containing blueberry raw materials, you should consult your doctor about the possibility of their use. Contraindications for consuming blueberries and products made from them are:

• individual intolerance (can manifest itself in the form of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies);
• allergic reactions in the patient's history (rash, itching, urticaria);
• simultaneous intake with vitamin C or foods containing it in large quantities - raspberries, wild strawberries, strawberries (benzoic acid contained in blueberries, when interacting with ascorbic acid, forms a carcinogen);
• urolithiasis, gout (oxalic acid can increase oxaluria - an increase in the concentration of oxalic acid in the urine, which leads to the formation of oxalate stones);
• acute pancreatitis (increased secretion of the pancreatic glands can worsen the patient’s condition with pancreatitis);
• acute cholecystitis and exacerbation of cholelithiasis (increased motility of the smooth muscles of the gallbladder and ducts, together with an increase in the secretory function of liver cells, can lead to blockage of the bile ducts with stones);
• hyperacid gastritis and peptic ulcer (blueberries increase the acidity of gastric juice, therefore they are prohibited for consumption with gastritis with high acidity and with peptic ulcer).

To avoid side effects of blueberry products, it is necessary to limit its consumption during pregnancy. It should not be given to infants and children under one year of age.

Women who are breastfeeding (BF) should consume blueberries with great caution, especially in the first month of breastfeeding. Taking blueberries by a nursing mother during breastfeeding can lead to allergic reactions or digestive disorders in the child. Therefore, the question of whether blueberries can be consumed by nursing mothers or not should be decided by the doctor after studying the instructions for the drug.

The instructions for use of the drug must include:

• description of the composition;
• characteristics of its effect on the body;
• method of administration and dosage;
• precautions;
• indications and contraindications;
• best before date;
• manufacturer and his contact details;
• information on state registration of the drug.

From the instructions for the drug you can also find out at what age the drug can be given to children.

If for any reason there are no instructions for use or if it contains incomplete information, you should never take such a drug.

Who needs to be careful about adding fiber?

Fiber is good for your health, but adding it too quickly and in large quantities can cause gas, bloating, and cramping. Therefore, increase the amount of fiber in your diet gradually over several weeks (by 2 grams per day). This will allow the bacteria in the intestinal microflora to adapt to the changes.

Fiber can increase gas production in people with flatulence and cause abdominal pain in patients with increased intestinal motility. In case of inflammatory bowel diseases and increased intestinal motility, it is necessary to limit the intake of dietary fiber.

Attention! When you increase your fiber intake, especially through supplements and fortified foods, unpleasant symptoms may appear - bloating and increased gas production after eating. Therefore, recommendations for adding fiber, especially in the presence of gastrointestinal diseases, must be agreed with a gastroenterologist. This especially applies to people with chronic constipation, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome. You can get advice from a gastroenterologist on the use of fiber and dietary supplements at the Gastroenterological Department.

Use in cooking

The taste qualities of blueberries allow them to be used in cooking for preparing various dishes:

• sweet soups;
• gravy and sauces for meat;
• desserts;
• compotes and jelly.

Every housewife can easily find something to make from blueberries to please her household.

The healthiest thing to do is start every morning with oatmeal and blueberries. To prepare it, you need to bring the milk to a boil, add oatmeal and sugar to taste. You need to cook the porridge for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. At the end of cooking, add butter and stir. Place the finished porridge on a plate and sprinkle with fresh or frozen blueberries. This breakfast strengthens the immune system and increases vitality.

Blueberry jelly will help enrich the body with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and improve digestion. To prepare it you need to take:

• a glass of blueberries (fresh or frozen);

• 200 g sugar;
• 3 tablespoons starch;
• 2 liters of water.

Place the berries in a saucepan with water, add sugar, stir and put on high heat. While the broth is boiling, you need to dilute the starch in water. After boiling, the compote needs to be cooked for about 15 minutes, then strain. The strained compote should be brought to a boil, then pour the diluted starch into it. Stirring, bring the jelly to a boil and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Preparation of blueberries

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To prepare blueberry remedies at home, the berries can be purchased from suppliers, grown in your garden, or collected yourself in the forest.

The most difficult way is to cultivate blueberries in a personal plot. Blueberries are a rather finicky shrub, so planting them must be taken very seriously: study special literature, prepare the soil. To grow it yourself, you need to purchase a garden variety blueberry bush. When planting, the root of the shrub should contain a lump of soil.

You need to buy blueberries at specialized fairs or from large suppliers in markets. There, the raw materials undergo radiological and toxicological control. To buy high-quality blueberries, you need to know how to choose them correctly:

1. You need to buy blueberries during their harvest season.
2. Berries must be dry when purchased.
3. Blueberries should not have a sour smell - this is a sign of spoilage.
4. Try a few berries: they should not be bitter. Why are blueberries bitter? Bitterness in berries can appear when honeysuckle, which has a bitter taste, gets into the mass of berries, or when the berries spoil.
5. You cannot buy blueberries at spontaneous markets - it is dangerous to your health!

Self-picking of fresh berries is popular among the population of our country. To go pick this berry yourself, you should find out when blueberries ripen in this area. Whether blueberries will be beneficial or harmful depends on the conditions under which they are collected. In order for blueberries to show all their beneficial properties, you need to know where to collect, how to collect and how to store the raw materials of this plant. The chemical composition of the raw material depends on where the shrub grows. Blueberries collected in environmentally unfavorable areas can be harmful to health. Therefore, it needs to be collected in the forest far from industrial zones, roads and railways, livestock grazing areas, landfills, sedimentation tanks, and agricultural lands.

After picking blueberries yourself, there are always a lot of leaves among the berries, so you need to sort through the harvest. How to sort blueberries quickly? A simple device made of an inclined rough surface (cardboard, board or thick fabric) with slats on the sides converging downward will help with this. The berries will roll down the inclined surface, but the leaves and crushed berries will remain on the surface.

How to preserve the beneficial properties of berries? Blueberries retain the maximum amount of nutrients:

• frozen;
• dried (you can also dry blueberry leaves);
• grated with sugar.

Do I need to wash berries before harvesting? The answer to this question depends on the harvesting method. Before drying or canning blueberries, they must be washed. If you decide to freeze the berries, you should not wash them: they may burst when frozen.

You can also make preserves from blueberries (juices, compotes, jams, preserves, syrups). It should be borne in mind that heat treatment partially destroys the beneficial substances of the berries. A popular and tasty blueberry preserve that can be used all year round is jam, for example, blueberry jam with citric acid.

To prepare it you will need the following ingredients:

• blueberries – 1 kg;
• sugar – 1.5 kg;
• water – 0.2 l;
• citric acid – 1/3 teaspoon.

The berries for jam are washed and thrown into boiling water for 3-4 minutes. At this time, prepare sugar syrup. When the sugar is completely dissolved in water, the prepared berries are poured into it. Cook the jam over medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, add citric acid and pour into sterilized jars. This method of making jam is gentle on the beneficial substances contained in the berries.

How to store the product

Preparing berries for the winter is not the easiest thing, because after heat treatment, blueberries lose the lion's share of their beneficial properties. However, there are several ways to preserve berries for the cold period:

1. Drying. The dried product is very concentrated, it retains most vitamins and microelements. The process itself does not take much time - the product is slightly dried at a temperature of 40°C, and then dried in an electric dryer at 60°C.
2. Freezing. This type of fruit processing also allows you to preserve beneficial properties for a long time.
3. Conservation. A popular way to store blueberries for a long time is to grind the fruits with sugar. In this form, the product can be preserved or simply left in the refrigerator.

Please note that only fresh product is suitable for long-term storage. Dry blueberries with bitterness indicate the beginning of the fermentation process. Such berries are not suitable for consumption.

Interesting things about blueberries

Blueberries are so popular that there are many legends about them. Here is one of them. This happened a long time ago, when gnomes lived in the northern forests. These forests were famous for their untold riches. Having learned about them, people began to look for them, searching everywhere. It became dangerous for the dwarves to live next to people, and they left. For a long time they wandered through the forests without a roof over their heads and food. And only a blueberry bush sheltered them, giving them long-awaited protection and food. In gratitude for this, the gnomes settled this bush wherever they appeared.

The Russian name “blueberry” is given to the berry because it stains your hands when the juice gets on them. Having learned about the coloring properties of blueberries, their juice began to be used as a dye for leather and fabrics, and artists began to prepare their own paints from them.

The plant got its Latin name Vaccinium from the word “vacca”, which means “cow”. Blueberries earned this name due to their initial use on the farm: their leaves were fed to livestock, in particular cows.

Description

The perennial berry bush is unpretentious and grows in mixed and coniferous forests in various climatic zones.

1. Thanks to its superficial rhizomes, the shrub is prone to rapid growth in width. The height of the plant rarely exceeds the 50-centimeter mark. In regions with cold climates, plants grow to 20-30 centimeters during the growing season.
2. The leaf blades are small, oval-shaped, bright emerald in color, and tightly cover the trunk and branches of the plant. With the onset of autumn, the leaves of the bush acquire a reddish tint and fall off.
3. The flowering period of the berry bush occurs at the end of spring. The plant produces many small flowers with a subtle aroma. After pollination, fruit ovaries form in place of the flowers.
4. The ripening of wild berries depends on the climate of the growing region. In the middle zone, the first blueberry harvest can be harvested from the beginning of August.
5. By the time they ripen, the fruits become black, but due to the waxy layer, the berries appear dark blue.

Interesting! The plant is easily propagated by vegetative and seed methods, so experienced gardeners often grow forest shrubs in vegetable gardens and personal plots.