Wild Blueberry Nutrition 101: Your Checklist to Better Health

Wild blueberries have been hailed as the next superfood. They’re delicious, nutritious, and chock-full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

There are many types of berries. Strawberries, mulberries, elderberries, and mulberries are some of the most common ones. They are widely eaten as snacks, in smoothies, and desserts.

When it comes to nutritional value, wild blueberries are very highly ranked. They have extremely high nutritional value.

Blueberries have vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. If you’re looking for a health boost when you’re on the go, a handful is the perfect snack.

However, we don’t just offer any wild blueberries here at LOOV Food. We offer Nordic Wild Blueberries.

What Are Nordic Wild Blueberries?

Nordic wild blueberries are a more nutritious alternative to the well-known Maine blueberries. In fact, Nordic wild blueberries contain much more antioxidants, fibers, and proteins than the latter:

• Antioxidants: 800mg per 100g
• Protein:  0.7g per cup
• Fiber: 3.6g per cup

As the name, “Nordic wild blueberries” suggests, rather than being native to Eastern Canada and North America,  Nordic Blueberries come from expansive Nordic forests throughout northern Europe.  They’re found so deep in these Nordic forests, that they’re left uncontaminated by nature — free from all toxins and chemicals. This contributes to Nordic wild blueberries being one of the healthiest fruits on the planet.”

Meanwhile, Maine Wild Blueberries are grown across 44,000 acres of Maine. While this makes Maine Wild Blueberries more accessible, it also means there’s a lot more management involved in their growth — taking away from the pure uncontaminated nature of our Nordic Wild Blueberries.

With that said, how do Nordic wild blueberries stack up against cultivated blueberries?

Nordic Wild Blueberries vs. Cultivated Blueberries

The nutrition profiles of wild blueberries and cultivated ones are similar for the most part, but they still differ in certain ways.

Wild blueberries, in particular, are significantly more nutritious compared to the cultivated kind. This is because the cultivated variety is designed to be sweeter and bigger so that they look more appealing. Wild ones don’t have to meet the same criteria.

Cultivated Blueberries

Cultivated blueberries are sweeter than wild ones. For people with insulin sensitivity disorders such as type 2 blood sugar management, wild blueberries are preferred because they have a lower glycemic index (GI).

This means that there’s a smaller increase in blood sugar after eating wild berries compared to when a person eats cultivated ones.

Cultivated blueberries get picked from bushes. They’re larger than the wild variety because they have higher water content. They are also milder and have a less prominent blueberry taste.

Finally, cultivated berries won’t pass the tongue test. Where the wild kind are blue throughout and will stain the tongue, cultivated ones have white flesh and won’t stain as deeply as their wild counterparts.

Wild Blueberries

Wild blueberries are found all over the world and get collected from plants that grow close to the ground. Nordic wild blueberries are found in Finland’s organic forests. They are oxidant-rich and also have vitamin A, vitamin K, carotene, and vitamin E.

These wild berries don’t grow on the same type of bushes that cultivated ones are picked from. They come from plants that are closer to the ground and spread by growing rhizomes.

In organic forests, plants have to withstand harsh conditions. To make this possible, they produce more phytochemicals and other protective substances. like chlorogenic acids and flavonols.

Wild blueberries are smaller in size because they have lower water content. They have more antioxidants, anthocyanins, and phenolics. A recent study revealed that the types also have a higher mineral composition compared to cultivated ones.

Anthocyanin is the pigment that gives the fruit its dark purple color. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants. The health benefits of anthocyanins are numerous.

Anthocyanins have malignancy-fighting properties. They also help to supports blood sugar levels already within normal range.

Phenolics are bioactive substances found in food. They are well-renowned for their protective effects against chronic diseases, such as blood sugar management and high blood pressure.

Below is a quick recap of the major differences between wild and cultivated blueberries.

The Benefits of Eating Wild Blueberries vs. Normal Blueberries

There’s a big difference between cultivated and wild blueberries. Now we’ll talk a bit more about the benefits of choosing the wild kind.

• Wild blueberries have eightfold the amount of manganese when compared to cultivated ones. Manganese is a trace element (this means that you only need a little amount every day) but it has significant effects on overall health. Manganese reduces swelling and irritation and supports blood sugar levels already within the normal range.
• Wild blueberries contain fewer calories than cultivated ones but have more nutritional value. A cup of wild ones has 84 calories whereas a cup of cultivated berries can have up to 100 calories. Wild blueberries are a healthy snack for people on weight management programs.
• Wild blueberries have more fiber than cultivated ones. Fiber is important in maintaining regular bowel movements by aiding gut motility. It helps to lower blood cholesterol as well.

The Health Benefits of Blueberries

Wild blueberries have numerous health benefits because they’re nutrient-rich, which you’ll discover when you check out their nutrient facts. They improve brain health, help to strengthen the immune system, and increase the body’s ability to fight off disease-causing pathogens.

Approximately half a cup of fresh blueberries is the standard serving portion.

• Blueberries promote the growth of cells in the bone marrow that mature and become bone cells (osteoblasts). Osteoblasts produce the building blocks that bones are made of to strengthen them.
• Blueberries can help to fight skin inflammation that comes with acne, early aging, eczema, and psoriasis. They also improve the blood supply to the skin, making it healthier and allowing it to recover quicker from any damage. People that regularly eat this fruit have improved skin health.
• Blueberries may reduce the development of high blood pressure. It increases the production of nitric oxide (NO) which causes blood vessels to dilate. When blood vessels dilate, there’s lower peripheral resistance and, ultimately, you have lower blood pressure.
• Blueberries help to keep blood sugar in the acceptable range. For people with ailments that cause dysregulation of blood sugar levels, eating them can help to avoid adverse symptoms. They may also aid in weight loss because they are low in calories.
• Blueberries have cardio-protective effects. They reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing the hardening of coronary arteries. This promotes good heart health. They also have vitamin K, which helps to keep blood fluid in the veins and arteries.
• Blueberries have malignancy-fighting properties. Research showed a direct link between the number of the fruit that test subjects ate and a decrease in tumor weight and proliferation.
• Blueberries were shown to significantly reduce biomarkers of DNA damage. This damage has been linked to cognitive impairment and certain types of malignancy. Older adults that regularly eat this superfood were shown to have a reduced risk of having marked cognitive decline. By incorporating some organic whole wild berries into your morning smoothie, you too can reap that benefit.
• Blueberries are high in fiber. Fiber is essential to maintaining regular bowel movements and healthy digestion. It’s a bulking agent that makes it easier for food to move along the digestive tract until it’s expelled.
• Blueberries improve the blood supply to the scalp and this promotes hair growth.

Blueberries Are Rich in Vitamin C

A single serving of wild blueberries contains a quarter of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is involved in many metabolic processes of the body. It’s one of the most effective vitamins.

Wild Nordic blueberries are rich in vitamin C. It’s important for the growth and repair of body tissues. It’s a potent antioxidant as well and boosts immunity.

Antioxidants have a protective effect against free radical damage. They act as scavengers for free radicals and mop them out of the system. They also combat free radicals by promoting the pathways that are involved in free radical decomposition.

Free radicals have been found to contribute to the development of chronic ailments such as chronic heart disease, malignancy, cataracts, and joint disorders. So, if you’re looking for a way to make your meals more immune-boosting, include more blueberries in your diet.

Vitamin C can help to prevent the more serious symptoms that are associated with the common cold. Instead of developing pneumonia and other serious lung infections, people that had enough ascorbic acid were found to mostly have mild symptoms.

Unlike other nutrients, vitamin C and its metabolites can’t be stored by the body. Daily intake of Vitamin C in food or supplements is a necessity.

Incorporate More Nordic Blueberries in Your Diet Today

Wild Nordic blueberries can easily be incorporated into your everyday meals. They come in different forms and you’re free to choose the one that best blends with your current meal structure.

If you can’t decide on a meal structure, check out some of our incredible and healthy recipes for inspiration.

…And don’t forget: Our nordic blueberries are beneficial to the whole family—including young children, adolescents, teens, adults, and the elderly. You can learn even more about them (and other juicy secrets) by checking out our blog.

One thing you’ll certainly learn: the efficacy of our wild Nordic blueberries is clear. Not only that, but you’ll learn many people have enjoyed the yummy goodness of this tasty fruit.

“As somebody who has had a lot of wild blueberries from Finland, I can tell you that these are the real deal. The thing that is great about these is that you can taste that they have been harvested at peak ripeness and brought to the processing facility before that had the chance to spoil” — Cielo99, verified buyer

So, without further ado, you too can jump on the bandwagon and reap the benefits of eating blueberries.

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Featured Image from: Unsplash by Vladimir Vinogradov