Eat these 3 fruits for a lifetime of wide-ranging health benefits

Next time you’re in the grocery store, be sure to put some blueberries in your cart (fresh, frozen, or powder form will do). Although this berry is tiny, it packs some pretty huge benefits.

Extensive research has discovered that regular blueberry consumption promotes:

  • Healthy blood pressure
  • Long-term cognitive health
  • Prevention of gum disease
  • Robust immune function
  • Short-term memory support
  • Weight loss
  • Weight maintenance

The key to all those benefits can be traced back to the remarkable anti-inflammatory effect of blueberries.

In a moment I’ll tell you exactly how you can get the best from blueberries (even when they’re out of season).

But first, it’s important for you to know just how the blueberry works its anti-inflammatory magic…

Surprising benefits for your digestion

As I’ve written about many times before, the best place to start any journey for better health is by tackling inflammation—the underlying root of countless health conditions and chronic disease (like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s… just to name a few)

And you can begin managing inflammation by focusing on your gut—specifically your microbiome, which houses colonies of trillions of beneficial bacteria.

In Dr. Marc Micozzi’s Inflammation Fighting Protocol, he stresses that the importance of the link between a healthy microbiome and control of chronic inflammation can’t be overstated.

In fact, he cites a remarkable study that reveals blueberries’ ability to transform the gut’s physical makeup.

Researchers at the University of Georgia began by dividing rats into three dietary groups: One group ate only foods high in unhealthy fats; another group ate high-fat foods plus blueberry powder; and a third group ate low-fat foods.

After eight weeks, the researchers measured inflammation markers, microbiome composition, intestinal function, and glucose tolerance (an indicator of blood sugar control) in the rats.

The rats in the high-fat group with the blueberry powder fared the best, showing significant improvements in both the composition and diversity of healthy probiotic bacteria in the gut. (And Dr. Micozzi stresses that diversity—not quantity—is key when it comes to your gut bacteria!)

Interestingly, eating high-fats without blueberries shortened the length of intestinal villi. Dr. Micozzi explains that villi are the small, finger-like projections that line the intestines. They play a key role in improving your digestion and absorption of nutrients.

But after introducing blueberries into the diet, the length of the intestinal villi was restored!

Dr. Micozzi continues, “Inflammatory biomarkers also shot up in the rats eating the high-fat diet—but that rise was prevented in the rats getting the high-fat diet and blueberry powder. Blueberry also improved glucose tolerance.”

This is a significant benefit for anyone, but it would appear to be particularly important for anyone on a ketogenic diet, and restricted to high intake of protein and healthy fats. Generally, fruits are cut out of keto diets. However, in spite of their delicious sweetness, blueberries (and other berries) are actually pretty low in carbohydrates, making them a safe choice for most any eating plan.

Boost your blueberry power—threefold

Given the wide-ranging benefits of blueberries, Dr. Micozzi’s recommendation is no surprise. He says: “Don’t skimp on blueberries!”

More specifically, he points out that just one cup of blueberries provides nearly 4 grams of fiber. That’s one-quarter of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, and over one-third of your daily dose of vitamin K!

And he adds, “This colorful fruit is also rich in antioxidants. And they’re packed with anthocyanins, which give blueberries their characteristic dark blue color—and which have anti-inflammatory properties.”

But to reap all these benefits in full, Dr. Micozzi strongly recommends spending a bit more for organic blueberries to avoid any trace of toxic pesticides.

And whenever possible, do one better and choose wild blueberries. Dr. Micozzi points out that wild blueberries are better than cultivated because they contain a whopping three times the amount of phenolic acids. These acids have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

In mid-winter, when none of the options may be available, you can turn to blueberry powder.

“For a great beverage,” Dr. Micozzi advises, “just add water-soluble blueberry powder to water, smoothie, or juice. Look for a water-soluble powder or a dietary supplement containing 400 mg of blueberry extract.”

Anti-inflammatory power…with a cherry on top

While you’re shopping for blueberries in the produce section, Dr. Micozzi has two more delicious recommendations for inflammation control…

He notes that strawberries have also been proven to reduce inflammation. And as an added bonus, they enhance memory too!

But he does point out that choosing organic is doubly important when it comes to strawberries. He explains, “This tasty fruit has a thin skin and conventional varieties top out the Environmental Working Group’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ list as the most heavily sprayed produce.”

After loading up your grocery cart with blueberries and strawberries, Dr. Micozzi recommends adding one more treat—what he calls a “tiny but powerful anti-inflammatory fruit: tart cherries.”

The small tart cherry package is loaded with antioxidant plant compounds that calm inflammation, help prevent infection, and boost immune function. And that’s just the start of cherry’s benefits…

Dr. Micozzi points out that eating more of this stone fruit can also significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. And evidence suggests that tart cherries may help you lose weight, too.

Remarkably, this variety of cherry has also been shown to work just as well as ibuprofen in relieving joint pain and inflammation, gout pain, and pain from intense muscle use.

Dr. Micozzi’s recommendation: “You should eat at least 20 tart cherries per day to feel a difference. You can also take a daily 2,000 mg tart cherry extract.”

You can find Dr. Micozzi’s personal supplement recommendations for tart cherry extract and blueberry extract in the Resource Directory that accompanies his Inflammation Fighting Protocol.

Click here to learn more about the wide variety of lifelong health benefits you can enjoy by controlling chronic inflammation, or to enroll in this one-of-a-kind online learning tool.