Nature's #1 Antioxidant Fruit!
Recently published USDA research (2004) confirms that a serving of Wild Blueberries delivers more antioxidant power than 20 different fruits and berries - including cultivated blueberries.
For the first time, the USDA evaluated both Wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush) blueberries in its antioxidant study and found that Wild topped its cultivated cousins by 48%. A serving of Wild Blueberries also outranked a serving of cranberries, strawberries, prunes and raspberries in terms of antioxidant capacity.
According to Dr. Ronald Prior, lead researcher on the study from the USDA Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center and Agricultural Research Service, “Wild Blueberries are stars in terms of their antioxidant capacity… This is the most comprehensive study of antioxidant capacity, using the most advanced technologies, and will serve as an important benchmark for future fruit and vegetable research.”
Scientists attribute the high antioxidant capacity of Wild Blueberries to anthocyanin, the phytonutrient responsible for the berry’s deep blue color. The new USDA findings support previous studies indicating that Wild Blueberries are consistently higher than cultivated blueberries in anthocyanin, as well as total phenolics and antioxidant capacity.
John Sauvé of the Wild Blueberry Association of USA, commented, “There is no longer any doubt that Wild Blueberries have more antioxidant activity than cultivated blueberries… these findings clearly show a difference between types of blueberries, with Wild Blueberries emerging as a power fruit.”
(Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52:4026-4037, 2004 and The Wild Blueberry Association of USA, www.wildblueberries.com)
Recent USDA studies (1998) show that Wild Blueberries are a tasty way to eat right and stay healthy. Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging ranked blueberries #1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables.
Click Here to return to the blueberry library page.
A portion of profits and products are donated to support non-profit organizations supporting arthritis research, diabetic research, Lou Gehrig's disease and Epilepsy research.