Blueberries are a healthy food full of vitamins C and K1, manganese, and several other beneficial plant compounds. Eating them often may help with heart disease, brain health, and blood sugar levels.
Blueberries are a popular, tasty fruit native to North America but grown commercially across the Americas and Europe.
The health benefits of blueberries may include helping regulate blood sugar and supporting heart and brain health. Blueberries are also low in calories.
Often marketed as a superfood, blueberries are an excellent source of several vitamins, beneficial plant compounds, and antioxidants.
This article reviews blueberries, including their nutrition and benefits.
What are blueberries?
As a member of the heather family (Vaccinium ssp.), blueberries are closely related to cranberries, bilberries, and huckleberries.
These small, round berries are about 0.2 to 0.6 inches (in) or 5 to 16 millimeters (mm) in diameter, and they range in color from blue to purple.
Different kinds of blueberries exist, so their appearance may vary slightly. The two most common varieties are highbush and lowbush blueberries.
Blueberries have a pleasant, sweet taste. They’re often eaten fresh but may also be frozen or juiced. You can use them in a variety of baked goods, jams, and jellies, as well as for flavorings.
Nutritional composition
Blueberries are low in calories and fat yet provide decent amounts of healthy fiber.
Nutrients
A 3.5-ounce (oz) or 100-gram (g) serving of raw blueberries has:
- Calories: 57
- Water: 84%
- Protein: 0.7 g
- Carbs: 14.5 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Fat: 0.3 g
Note that blueberries primarily consist of 9.6% carbs, 84% water, and small amounts of protein and fat. Most of the carbs come from simple sugars like glucose and fructose, but some also come in the form of fiber, which is important for health.
These berries also have a glycemic index (GI) score of 53, which is a measure of how quickly they raise blood sugar levels.
As this score is relatively low, blueberries should not cause major spikes in blood sugar and are considered safe for people with diabetes.
Vitamins and minerals
In addition, blueberries are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, including:
- vitamin K
- vitamin C
- manganese
- vitamin A
- vitamin E
- vitamin B6
- copper
Finally, blueberries also contain beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants — including anthocyanins and quercetin — which may account for many of their health benefits.
Fresh vs. frozen vs. dried
Note, however, that it may matter how you eat your blueberries. While both are healthy, wild blueberries may contain more antioxidants than domesticated ones.
Freezing blueberries shouldn’t affect their nutrient content, and it may even help them last longer. Blueberries versus other berries. While dried blueberries may lose some of their antioxidant content, this amount is negligible. They may, however, lose some flavor compared with fresh blueberries.
In addition, prepackaged dried blueberries may contain added sugar. If this concerns you, you can read the nutrition label to identify those that don’t before buying.
Also note that in very rare cases, it’s possible to be allergic to blueberries.
Compared with other berries
All berries are considered to be superfoods due to the nutrients and phenolic compounds they contain. That said, there are differences and similarities in their compositions.
The following charts provide a summary based on recent research comparing different types of berries:
Nutrients per 100 g
StrawberryBlackberryRaspberryCranberryBlueberryBlackcurrantWater (g)90.9588.1585.7587.3284.2183.95Energy (kcal)324352465756Protein (g)0.671.391.20.460.741.4Total lipid (fat) (g)0.30.490.650.130.330.2Carbohydrate (g)7.689.6111.9411.9714.4913.8Fiber, total dietary (g)25.36.53.62.44.3Sugars, total (g)4.894.884.424.279.967.37Calcium, Ca (mg)1629258633Iron, Fe (mg)0.410.620.690.230.281Magnesium, Mg (mg)1320226613Phosphorus, P (mg)242229111244Potassium, K (mg)1531621518077275Sodium, Na (mg)111211Zinc, Zn (mg)0.140.530.420.090.160.23Copper, Cu (mg)0.0480.1650.090.0560.0570.107Selenium, Se (µg)0.40.40.20.10.10.6Vitamin C (mg)58.82126.2149.741Thiamin (mg)0.0240.020.0320.0120.0370.04Riboflavin (mg)0.0220.0260.0380.020.0410.05Niacin (mg)0.3860.6460.5980.1010.4180.1Vitamin B6 (mg)0.0470.030.0550.0570.0520.07Folate, total (µg)242521168Vitamin A (µg)1112332Carotene, beta (µg)712812383225Carotene, alpha (µg)0016000Lutein + zeaxanthin (µg)26118136918047Vitamin E (mg)0.291.170.871.320.570.1Vitamin K (phylloquinone) (µg)2.219.87.8519.311Antioxidants
All berries contain antioxidants in varying amounts. While studies haven’t compared the antioxidant content of all berries, there have been some comparisons among select fruits.
For example, a 2023 study compared the antioxidant content of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, and black chokeberries.
Researchers first concluded that all the berries had more antioxidants in their pulp than in their juices. They also found that the berry with the highest antioxidant content was mulberry.
One older study also compared blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Blueberries were found to have the highest total antioxidant capacity, which means the highest ability to neutralize free radicals.
Learn more: 8 of the healthiest berries you can eat.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefits of eating blueberries?
Blueberries are low in calories but high in nutrients. They also contain many antioxidants, which may help protect against various diseases.
How many blueberries should you eat per day?
According to a 2023 study by King’s College London, consuming 26 g of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder daily for 12 weeks may help improve executive function, short-term memory, and reaction times. This is equivalent to about 130 blueberries or 1.25 cups of blueberries, depending on their size.
Generally, if you want to eat more blueberries, aim to eat about 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit, which equals about 1 serving. Even as little as a third of a cup per day is still associated with a variety of health benefits.
That said, limiting your intake to 1 cup daily leaves room for you to add a variety of other fruits and vegetables to your diet, which is better for your health.
Are blueberries high in sugar?
Blueberries contain moderate amounts of sugar — about 15 g per 1 cup of blueberries. However, they may have less impact on blood sugar levels, possibly due to their high content of bioactive compounds.
Bottom line
Blueberries are a popular, delicious fruit.
They’re a good source of vitamin K1, vitamin C, manganese, and several other beneficial plant compounds, such as anthocyanins.
Eating blueberries on a regular basis as part of an overall balanced diet may help prevent heart disease, improve brain health, and moderate blood sugar levels.
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