A cup of blueberries can give your breakfast a boost and experts say it may also support heart and brain health.
Walter Willett, an 81-year-old Harvard nutrition researcher known for decades of work on diet and chronic disease, recently told The Washington Post that he eats blueberries almost every day, usually adding them to oatmeal with Greek yogurt and nuts.
“In study after study, berries appear to be protective against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease,” Willett told the outlet. “It’s an area where we need more research, but berries do seem to stand out, especially blueberries.”
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The fruit is one of the most researched, along with apples, bananas and citrus fruits, according to experts, and studies have long examined blueberries’ effects on blood vessels and cognition.
In a six-month study of 115 adults with metabolic syndrome, participants who consumed the equivalent of about a cup of blueberries daily showed improvements in blood-vessel function and arterial stiffness, Dr. Nadim Geloo, Virginia-based senior medical director of Abbott’s structural heart division, told Fox News Digital.
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That doesn’t mean they directly prevent heart attacks or strokes, however.
“Most [studies] small and short, often use freeze-dried powder rather than whole fruit, measure markers like blood vessel function rather than actual heart attacks or strokes and are frequently funded by the blueberry industry,” Geloo said.
Some studies have also found improvements in memory and other cognitive measures, especially among older adults, though Dr. Michael Aziz, an internist and physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, noted that those effects were modest and research has not shown blueberries can prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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California-based biomedical researcher Rhonda Patrick also recently spoke about blueberries’ benefits for heart and brain health on her FoundMyFitness podcast.
“The strongest benefit is vascular,” she said.
Patrick called blueberries “one of the better-supported polyphenol-rich foods,” referring to their antioxidant properties, and also said a “practical dose” is about a cup a day.
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She noted that studies in older adults have also found improvements in some measures of memory and cognitive flexibility.
Longer-term observational studies have also linked berry intake with slower cognitive decline, but they cannot prove blueberries caused the difference.
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Nonetheless, experts say it’s still worth eating them.
“While there is no ‘magic bullet,’ there’s nothing to lose by including more berries in your diet,” Elisa Bremner, a New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist, told Fox News Digital.
She, too, eats them nearly every day, Bremner said.
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“I have heard blueberries called ‘brainberries,’ due to all the research on cognitive function associated with them,” she said.
One cup of blueberries also provides about 3.6 grams of fiber, Bremner noted, which helps slow digestion, and pairing blueberries with protein-rich foods such as yogurt may further slow the release of sugar.
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Fresh and frozen blueberries are both practical options, Bremner said, noting that frozen fruit can be a convenient, lower-cost way to eat fruit year-round.
Since the evidence does not show that everyone needs to eat exactly a cup daily or that blueberries can prevent disease, Bremner recommends eating a varied, balanced diet rather than relying on one fruit.
Willett also told The Washington Post that his overall approach emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, plant-based proteins, healthy fats and modest amounts of meat and dairy.