Composition  USDA Data (detailed)  Composition by Percent  Sugars  Serving Sizes  Nutrition Labels  Antioxidants  Phytochemicals  Ethnobotany   Learning Center  

Overview: 

	One cup of blueberries contains 16% DV of fiber
	Blueberries are a source of Vitamins A and C, potassium and folate
	Blueberries are very low in fat and sodium

Composition:

g=grams  mg=milligrams  kcal-kilokalories  IU=International Units  ug=micrograms  ATE=alpha tocopherol equivalentUSDA Data (detailed)

 Composition by Percent:

Sugars::

Antioxidants: The USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston has developed an assay called ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), which qualifies the antioxidant capacity of foods.  Fresh blueberries have a high level of ORAC, 2400 per 100 grams.  (As a comparison, five servings of some fruits and vegetables in a typical American diet score around 1600.

Phytochemicals:Ethnobotany: Blueberries have been associated with positive physiological and cosmetic benefits for centuries.  Here we list non scientific information which although not endorsed by the USHBC, may be of interest to researchers as a direction for further research.

	Blueberry Health and Nutrition traditions in China.
	Native American and First Nations of Canada blueberry health and medicinal traditions.
	Blueberry health and nutrition in Russia and Central European Traditions.

Nutrition Labels:

Blueberries Raw	Blueberries Frozen (Unsweetened

Learning Center:

Eating blueberries may help you remember where you placed your car keys—important findings if you’d like to keep Alzheimer’s and heart disease at bay.

The research was presented Monday, August 19, at the ACS national meeting in Boston.

In one study, Jim Joseph, director of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA), fed blueberry extractions—the equivalent of a human eating one cup of blueberries a day—to mice and then ran them through a series of motor skills tests.

He found that the blueberry-fed mice performed better than their control group counterparts in motor behavioral learning and memory, and he noticed an increase in exploratory behavior. When he examined their brains, he found a marked decrease in oxidative stress in two regions of the brain and better retention of signal-transmitting neurons compared with the control mice.

The chemical 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. Blueberries, along with other colorful fruits and vegetables, test high in their ability to subdue oxygen free radicals. These oxygen radicals, which can damage cell membranes and DNA through a process known as oxidative stress, are blamed for many of the dysfunctions and diseases associated with aging.

These findings could become increasingly important as the U.S. population ages. It is projected that by 2050, more than 30% of Americans will be over 65 and will have the decreased cognitive and motor function that accompanies advanced age. Joseph is currently testing the effects of blueberries on humans. Preliminary results show that people who ate a cup of blueberries a day have performed 5–6% better on motor skills tests than the control group.

For a 5 A Day Guide to fruit serving sizes log onto   http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/pdf/whats_a_serving.pdf Based on the 5 A Day guide following are servings for blueberries. One serving of Blueberries = one-half cup One serving of Blueberry juice = 3/4 cup (6 oz.) of 100% juice One serving of dried Blueberries = 1/4 cup