Another Great Snack -- Blueberries!

Blueberries are an important part of a healthy diet. Although they are not a "cure-all," they contain a number of substances that are thought to have health benefits. Here are just a few:

• In a recent study, scientists in New Zealand found that blueberries may be able to calm hunger pangs. The researchers fed a group of rats blueberry extract before a meal and found that the rodents ate 9 percent fewer calories than those who didn't receive the compound! "Antioxidants may trigger receptors in your upper intestine that tell your brain you're full," says lead researcher Adbdul Molan, Ph.D.
• In another study, neuroscientists discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity. "The compound that appears responsible for this neuron protection, anthocyanin, also gives blueberries their color and might be the key component of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties."
• And yet another study, this one at Rutgers University in New Jersey, "identified compounds in blueberries called proanthocyanidins that promote urinary tract health and reduce the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract."

Not all of the theories above have yet been tested on humans, but even so, we are still aware that blueberries are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, while being low in fats and sodium. Once again, nature made it best! Have a handful today! Sources: Men's Health, September 2008 http://www.blueberry.org/health.htm