Blueberries unpicked: The tiny superfruit that can make a BIG impact on your gut, brain and heart health

The humble and delicious fruit could be the answer to improving your gut, brain and heart health, according to a landmark review published last week.

Experts have long been encouraging us to eat more blueberries, but thankfully you don’t need to consume pounds of the superfruit for it to have an effect.

Britons consume 57,000 tonnes of these tiny fruits every year; Enough to fill 23 Olympic swimming pools.

But although farmers in the UK now produce around a tenth of all the fruit we eat – straight from the fruit basket, sprinkled on yoghurt, baked into muffins or garnished with a colorful fruit salad – blueberries are not native to the UK.

In fact, they were first brought to the UK in 1952 and only introduced to supermarket shelves in the 90s, making their rise to the top of the country’s favorite fruits list all the more impressive.

Today Marks & Spencer makes more money from blueberries than apples and pears combined, and at supermarket rival Aldi, blueberry muffins sell three units more than a bag of oranges.

Sales in the UK have increased by 40 percent in the last three years. To put this into perspective, if the trend continues at this rate we will be spending more than £1 billion on blueberries every year by the end of the decade.

Fruit is disproportionately popular among people over 55, according to Worldpanel, a market research company that tracks the shopping baskets of 30,000 families in the United Kingdom.

Fruit is disproportionately popular among people over 55, according to Worldpanel, a market research company that tracks the shopping baskets of 30,000 families in the United Kingdom.

Research shows that blueberries have a number of health benefits, including improving blood vessel function, beneficial changes in the gut microbiome, and improving memory.

A review of 12 studies published last week by the North American Blueberry Association found that wild blueberries provide ‘whole-body’ health benefits.

One of the findings in the review was that blueberries may help support endothelial function (how well blood vessels relax) with regular intake within hours of a single serving, and in other cases over weeks or months.

Blueberries are one of the most nutrient-dense fruits as they are full of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.

But experts say a specific compound is behind its incredible health benefits.

They are full of a polyphenol flavonoid called anthocyanins, a purple pigment that gives berries their deep color.

‘It’s true that blueberries are also rich in fiber and antioxidants, which are beneficial to your health,’ says Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, an expert in human nutrition at King’s College London (KCL) who has studied blueberries for more than two decades.

‘But what sets blueberries apart is their high concentration of anthocyanins.’

Research shows that the optimal amount of blueberries per day is 200 grams.

A 2019 KCL study was able to detect this relationship.

By comparing a tablet of pure anthocyanins with a mixture of other vitamins and minerals in blueberries, they were able to show why blueberries have significant health benefits.

They found that the most significant health benefits came from participants taking anthocyanin tablets.

Professor Rodriguez-Mateos explains that this is beneficial because it increases the body’s availability of nitric oxide, a chemical crucial for cardiovascular health.

A study conducted by the professor in 2023 revealed that consuming the equivalent of 178 grams of fruit per day has a major impact on the cardiovascular system.

As part of the study, researchers from KCL and the University of Reading conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 61 healthy men and women aged 65 to 80.

They drank a drink made with 26 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder. The other group drank a matching placebo.

Those who consumed the fruit powder for 12 weeks were found to have better memory and better accuracy on attention tasks, as well as lower blood pressure.

The test group had lower blood pressure than the placebo group and was also shown to have increased flow-mediated dilation, leading to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers also found that volunteers who consumed fruit powder in drinks for twelve weeks had better memory and an 8.5 percent increase in performance on an attention task.

Experts say the benefits are the same whether you eat it fresh, frozen or freeze-dried.

Professor Rodriguez-Mateos says: ‘We knew from previous research that there were potential advantages to consuming blueberries, but this study went further, investigating how a daily, dietary amount of blueberries could simultaneously benefit our cognitive and cardiovascular health in a healthy, older population.’

Increasing research suggests that in addition to the fruit’s health benefits on the cardiovascular system and brain, it is also beneficial for the gut microbiome.

‘Research shows that fruit has an almost probiotic effect on the gut, improving diversity in our gut microbiome,’ says Professor Rodriguez-Mateos.

Experts say that to see the health benefits of blueberries, a person should consume about half a pack (200 grams) a day.

“Our research has shown that 200 grams per day is the minimum amount to provide a significant health benefit, but some studies have shown that this may be less, and only two or three days a week – really any amount will be of some benefit,” says Professor Rodriguez-Mateos.

‘We also found that more is not necessarily better; Eating a pound of blueberries won’t have a magical effect.

‘The benefits actually plateau after about 240 grams.’

He explains that it doesn’t matter how you consume blueberries.

‘From a nutritional perspective, there is little difference between consuming fresh, frozen or freeze-dried blueberries,’ says the professor.

There has also been a rise in blueberry extract supplements, with blueberries now being marketed as a superfood.

Research shows that the market is growing at 10 percent annually and is estimated to be worth 125 million worldwide.

‘Supplementation may be beneficial, especially as blueberries can be expensive,’ says Professor Rodriguez-Mateos.

‘But it’s always best to get your nutrients from whole foods whenever possible.

‘Other sources of anthocyanin-rich foods include plums, apples, eggplant and red cabbage; A purple diet could be the way forward.’

Because of the high levels of vitamin K, people taking blood thinners are advised to monitor their intake. The same can be said for those with intestinal diseases, due to the significant fiber content of fruits.