In their new book SuperFoods HealthStyle, nationally renowned authors Steven G. Pratt, M.D., and co-author Kathy Matthews extol the powerful disease-fighting benefits of blueberries, calling them the “absolute powerhouses in the world of health-promoting foods.” Pratt and Matthews first identified blueberries as one of 14 SuperFoods in their best-selling book SuperFoods Rx. Now they have expanded their original list of SuperFoods and broadened the focus to include all aspects of health promotion, including exercise, weight control, sleep and stress management as well as nutrition, offering “proven strategies for lifelong health.”

Dr. Pratt is an authority on the role of nutrition and lifestyle in the prevention of disease and optimizing health, and he has long been a booster of blueberries. Noting that blueberries contain more antioxidants than other fruits, Pratt states, “Blueberries are such powerful health promoters that if you ate only three SuperFoods, blueberries, along with wild Alaskan salmon and spinach, you would be ahead of the game.”

“The most exciting news about blueberries,” says Pratt, “is their effect on brain health.” Pratt cites studies showing that a blueberry diet slowed and in some cases reversed deficits in brain function, motor performance, and learning and memory in older animals. Blueberries were more effective than either strawberries or spinach in countering the effects of aging. In a section on “How to avoid Alzheimer’s disease,” Pratt suggests eating one cup of fresh or frozen blueberries daily. “Blueberries are ‘brain berries’: They seem to have powerful effects on the preservation of cognitive ability.”

The reason behind blueberries’ impressive health-promoting capabilities is their rich supply of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants contained in the berries’ deep blue pigments. Anthocyanins help neutralize the effects of free-radical damage to cells and tissues — oxidative stress, which is linked to cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and a wide-range of other age-related conditions. Blueberries also contain pterostibene, a compound that may be able to lower cholesterol as effectively as many drugs, contributing to cardiovascular health.

Recognizing that “Wild blueberries have even more antioxidants than commercial varieties,” Pratt recommends purchasing frozen wild blueberries, which are available year-round. He notes research showing that frozen berries provide all the nutritional benefits of fresh.

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