Frozen Blueberries Are Better For You

5 Reasons Why You Should Freeze Your Blueberries

I think we’re all already aware that organic berries are very good for our overall health. The vitamins that they contain spread a number of benefits throughout our body, but is it possible to make them even more healthy?Apparently, yes. Yes we can.

More and more research is pointing in the direction that freezing fruits can actually make them even healthier. This appears to be the case with organic blueberries, where anthocyanin concentration is actually more potent after a short stay in the freezer. In case you don’t know, anthocyanins contain a number of anti-inflammatory qualities, and are known to benefit your overall brain health.

Some research even suggests that anthocyanin may possess anti-carcinogenic properties that could completely revolutionize the medical industry.

What does freezing do?

When you freeze blueberries (for short OR long periods of time), the low temperatures penetrate deep within the fruit and disrupt the tissue structure – this makes the anthocyanins more available and absorbable.

The berries actually have their sharp, blue color because of the anthocyanin in the tissue. Organic berries already have higher nutritional content than alternatives, but freezing them can actually improve on these 5 benefits:

1. Improving Heart Health

Eating frozen blueberries can significantly lower your risk of heart disease. This is because the nutrients regulate and relax the elasticity of your arteries in the vascular wall, keeping them from getting damaged. Consequently, this also improves your blood flow, giving you a healthy blood pressure in the process.

2. Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Forms of Dementia

The anthocyanin in the berries can actually improve your memory functions, and protect your brain against cell damage and loss. The protection makes your encoding and retrieval processes more fluid, making it easier to recall information.The berries can also improve your nerve cell growth, and make communication easier between nerve cell processes. This actually slows down the rate that they age, and ultimately, die.

3. Improved Nervous System Health

The antioxidants in blueberries  provide your nerve cells with protection, as mentioned previously. They also keep your brain healthy from various forms of toxin pollution that it is exposed to every day. They effectively create a safeguard around your nervous system to keep it healthy and strong for a longer period of time.

4. Improved Motor Function

Older adults, who suffer from impaired movements above the age of 70+ years, generally perform and behave more functionally after consuming frozen blueberries. They have heightened cognitive ability, which shows improved motor ability in comparison to other men and women in the same age group.

5. Improved Digestion

The antioxidants in blueberries protect your digestive tract from any damage from outside sources. The scary thing is, many of the people who lack antioxidants in their diets consequently develop cancer as a result of poor gastrointestinal health. People at risk of developing colon cancer should definitely bring more frozen blueberries into their diets.

Blueberries are already so healthy, but freezing them allows for you to get the benefits in such a higher concentration than refrigerated ones. They will taste just as good, but will be so much healthier without even showing it.

Try them out next time you pick up a batch. Grab a few extra ones to pack into the freezer for a few weeks, and make them a regular start to your mornings.

Sources:

http://www.sdstate.edu/news/articles/undergraduate-researcher-evaluates-frozen-blueberries.cfm?utm_source=homepage-banner&utm_medium=online-website&utm_campaign=blueberries

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

http://wellnessmaine.com/2013/08/22/blueberries-maines-fruit/

http://www.naturalnews.com/043674_blueberry_extracts_cadmium_toxicity_heavy_metals.html