Blueberries are perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. Vaccinium also includes cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries and Madeira blueberries. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush)—are all native to North America. The highbush varieties were introduced into Europe during the 1930s.

The blueberry, named for its velvety, deep-blue color, is one of the few fruits native to North America. Native Americans used the berries, leaves and roots for medicine and used the fruit as a fabric dye. Blueberries originally are found in the wild, and now they can grow in many regions of the United States. Most cultivated varieties are grown in Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, California and the Northwest. Wild blueberries, also known as lowbush blueberries, are abundant in Maine and Eastern Canada. Wild blueberry is the official fruit of Maine.

Blueberries are an excellent source of essential nutrients, such as vitamins C and K and manganese, and a good source of dietary fiber. In addition, blueberries are abundant of phyto-components, such as flavonoids, which are responsible for berries' antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Wild blueberries are rich in antioxidants. One serving of wild blueberries has more total antioxidant capacity than one serving of cranberries, strawberries, plums or others. Oxidative stress is linked to aging, heart diseases and cancer.

In human studies, researchers showed that blueberries are highly beneficial in maintaining memory function and preventing congnitive degeneration. One study conducted at University of Cincinnati found that consumption of blueberry-supplemented diets improved memory function and mood in older adults with early memory decline, and it suggested that regular consumption of blueberries may slow the loss of congnitive function and decrease depression in elderly. The other at Harvard Medical School showed that eating one or more servings of blueberries each week may help slow congnitive degeneration by several years in women. These observations are supported by laboratory studies that showed a diet of blueberries improves motor skills and reverses short-term memory loss, and it may be possible to overcome genetic predispositions of Alzheimer disease through the diet.

A growing body of research points to the potential for a blueberry-enriched diet to promote heart health. A team at Harvard School of Public Health reported that eating berries such as blueberries appear to reduce the risk of heart attack in women by 33%. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaques in arteries starting as fatty streaks where cholesterol accumulates. Blueberry-fed animals develop fewer plaques in aorta than in controls, and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, blueberries may support heart health through cholesterol lowering effects.

High blood pressure is the second leading cause of end-stage kidney disease in the U.S., and it is a growing problem with the aging and overweight populations. Laboratory studies revealed that wild blueberries could help regulate blood pressure and have the potential to decrease the vulnerability of heart blood vessels to oxidative stress and inflammation.

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and impaired glucose tolerance, which is responsible for increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Daily consumption of whole blueberries help people with type 2 diabetes reduce that risk by increasing participants' insulin sensitivity, a key determining factor in preventing type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, extracts from blueberries help alleviate hyperglycemia in laboratory animals, a condition that is associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Blueberries may promote certain intestinal bacteria that are beneficial to digestive health and the immune system. Available clinical studies show that regular consumption of a wild blueberry drink favorably affects the composition of the intestinal microbiota by increasing a type of beneficial bacteria called Bifidobecteria.

Blueberries contain numerous nutrients and phyto-components, many of which have been well studied for their roles in cancer prevention. For example, dietary fiber can act in several ways to lower cancer risk, including helping with weight control. Excess body fat increases the risk of several different cancers, and dietary fiber can increase the feeling of fullness.

Laboratory research is extensive on blueberry phyto-components such as flavonoids. In animal studies, blueberries decrease pre-cancerous changes and inflammation in colon and decrease estrogen-induced mammary cancer and DNA damage. In cell studies, blueberry extract and its purified flavonoids decrease free radical damage to DNA that can lead to cancer. They also decrease growth and increase self-destruction of lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer cells.

Blueberries are readily from the market. Choose firm, plump, dry blueberries with dusty blue color. Avoid berries that are soft, shriveled or with any sign of mold. Buy frozen blueberries too. They are also high in nutrients and antioxidant phyto-components. In the kitchen, whirl blueberries alone or with other fruits into a smoothie or fruit freeze drink, top cereal or yogurt with fresh or dried blueberries, or add them to a green salad. Blueberries play well with other fruits alone or in combination, enjoy them in muffins, pancakes, fruit crumble or crisp desserts.

As you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Your local markets carry a wide variety of nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. However, harmful bacteria that may be in the soil or water where produce grows can come in contact with fruits and vegetables and contaminate them. Fresh produce may also become contaminated after it is harvested, such as during storage or preparation.

Eating contaminated produce can lead to foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” So as you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect you and your family.

Buy Right

You can help keep produce safe by making wise buying decisions.

• Choose produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• When buying pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce — such as half of a watermelon or bagged salad greens — choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat, poultry, and seafood when packing them to take home from the market

Store Properly

Proper storage of fresh produce can affect both quality and safety.

• Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check! If you’re not sure whether an item should be refrigerated to keep its quality, ask your grocer.
• Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or packaged .

Separate for Safety

Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood and preparing produce that will not be cooked.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use

Prepare Safely

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.
• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface

What About Pre-Washed Produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce items are pre-washed and ready-to-eat. If so, it will be stated on the packaging, and you can use the produce without further washing.

If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils. This will help to avoid cross contamination.

About Foodborne Illness

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.

Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache

Take Action

If you think that you or a family member has a foodborne illness, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

• Botanists estimate that blueberries burst onto the scene more than 13,000 years ago, in what is now North America. Native Americans enjoyed blueberries year-round. They dried blueberries in the sun and added them whole to soups, stews and meat, and even crushed them into a powder to use on meat as a preservative.

• Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry’s versatility as a food, fabric dye and healing agent.

• In the USA, Cranberries were first cultivated in the early 1800s and blueberries in the early 1900s.

• Cranberries contain bacteria-blocking compounds that are believed to be helpful in preventing urinary tract infections, and scientists now think this same function may be useful in blocking the bacteria responsible for ulcers and certain oral bacteria that can lead to gum disease.

• Native Americans called blueberries “star berries” because the blossom end of each berry – the calyx – forms a perfect five-pointed star. Tribal elders recounted how the Great Spirit sent “star berries” to ease the children’s hunger during a famine. And according to legend, Native Americans gave blueberries to the pilgrims to help them make it through their first winter.