July 5, 2016

Blueberries are nutritional “superfruits” that you should definitely keep in your fridge. They are packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber and have numerous health benefits. In fact, these delicious berries have anti-aging properties that can help you age gracefully.

Including blueberries in your salads, smoothies, and desserts can help you age gracefully, and you can probably find fresh, locally grown blueberries at your farmers’ market. In fact, over five million pounds of blueberries are grown all over the United States, from Georgia to California. Listed below are just a few ways in which blueberries help you age slowly.

• Memory. Drinking two and a half cups of blueberry juice per day can do wonders for your memory, according to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. In the study, the participants, who were in their 70s, saw significant improvements in their learning and memory skills after only two months.

• Cardiovascular Disease. According to the American Heart Association, over 42 million Americans over the age of 60 have cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, blueberries can help reduce the risks associated with cardiovascular disease. A Florida State University study found that one cup of blueberries per day can help lower high blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

• Type-2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association reports that one in every four Americans over the age of 65 has diabetes. And as people get older, their risk for type-2 diabetes increases. A study has found that eating whole fruit can reduce the risk associated with type-2 diabetes, especially grapes, apples, and blueberries. In the study eating servings of whole fruits, like blueberries, at least twice a week for one month lowered the risk by 23 percent.

• Erectile dysfunction. Blueberries may also help reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction. Blueberries are full of a flavonoid known as anthocyanins, and in a study from Harvard University and the University of East Anglia researchers found that eating flavonoid-rich foods can help reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction in men under 70 years old.

From your brain to your heart, blueberries can do a lot of good for your whole body. Depending on your location, blueberries are in season from April to September, so start buying the berries today. Freeze any extras that you have so you can enjoy them all year round.