Blueberries: Your solution to low blood pressure

Legend has it that during World War II, the pilots in the British Royal Air Force quenched their thirst with blueberry juice to sharpen their vision. While no study has proven that blueberry is good for the sight, research has shown that the fruit protects our eyes from the ravages of time.

According to British scientists*, if you consume 100 grams of these little guys per day, your blood vessels are bound to be more elastic, lowering blood pressure and preventing cardiac arrest. This aside, the fruit proves to be exceptionally effective in combatting hypertension in women during menopause.

A roadblock between prehypertension and hypertension

Florida State University surveyed 48 ladies in menopause who have suffered from prehypertension or hypertension.  1). The women were asked to introduce to their diet a daily dose of 22 grams of blueberry powder, the equivalent of one serving of fruit. Half of them were given the placebo. After two months, the researchers measured the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of patients. As expected, the ones on placebo showed no change while the rest showed a significant decrease in blood pressure.

This is good news for the health-conscious lot — the super fruit stands as an alternative to mainstream drug remedies.

Considering all its health benefits, we reckon you start counting blueberries in your daily diet! The best part is that you can add them to any meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks in between. Substitute your banana pancakes for blueberry ones, sprinkle some on your salad and layer your parfait with these little guys. We would recommend blueberry lotions but unfortunately that doesn’t count…

*American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, nov. 2013

Maureen Diament and Natasha Gan