Native to the North American landscape, blueberries are truly an All-American food. For many years nutritionists and researchers ignored the tiny blueberry because of its relatively low vitamin C content. However, what these people did not know was that the healthful benefits of blueberries stem mainly from their incredibly high levels of antioxidant phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are non-vitamin, non-mineral components of food that have significant healthful benefits. There are literally thousands of different types of phytonutrients, and each phytonutrient is unique in both its physical characteristics and its function. Research has shown that phytonutrients help the body cells communicate with each other more efficiently, prevent mutations at the cellular level, prevent the proliferation of cancer cells, and there is still much more that we are learning about the powers of phytonutrients everyday. Blueberries are so rich in phytonutrients that even though they are not filled with the antioxidant vitamins C and E, the still provide as much antioxidant protection to the body as 1,733 IU of vitamin E and more than 1200 milligrams of vitamin C.

It is recommended that 1 to 2 cups of blueberries should be consumed daily to obtain the full health benefits of this amazing fruit.