Blueberries for good health
Published:Thursday | October 25, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Heather Little-White, PhD, Contributor
I was so amazed to a see a well-mannered young man, about 12 years old, pull up alongside my vehicle selling bunches of fresh blueberries which his St Mary family has reaped for sale. That's the reason why I bought two bundles to support his entrepreneurial venture while adding to my nutrition. It was an out-of-school activity.
The blueberry is a member of a long range of blueberries, including huckleberries and bilberries. The rich deep-maroon to deep-purple fruit is inviting and you could easily go home and refresh yourself. It is surrounded by a coat, giving protection to the tiny berries.
Blueberries date back to prehistoric times when they were used for traditional meals, pies and pastries. There are hundreds of varieties that have developed through cross-breeding.
Special nutrition
Berries are very nutritious as they are rich in antioxidants, which are responsible for the blue purple and red pigments.
Berries are also a good source of Vitamin C, fibre, manganese, Vitamin E and riboflavin. It is also known to improve vision and age-related macular degeneration of the eyes, and may protect against the formation of cataracts and glaucoma.
Delicious
I tried my own version and it was truly invigorating, as the natural sugars worked well with my diabetic spike. I had a little uric acid and my blueberry juice removed the discomfort. Importantly, blueberries help with the health of your urinary tract. Components found in the urinary tract are the same compounds found in cranberries to eliminate urinary tract infections, especially the bacterium E. coli.
Blueberries should be placed in a colander, and rinsed under cool water. If non-organic, they should be washed with diluted hydrogen peroxide.
As we try to eat what we grow, when persons are suffering from various respiratory ailments, it may be good to cottage-farm these and other natural products where they could be integrated in the school-feeding programme for main course meals and refreshing beverages.