Fresh blueberries, as well as blueberry juice, are good dietary sources of vitamin C. However, other common blueberry products contain negligible amounts of vitamin C.
Health benefits of vitamin C
Vitamin C is involved in many functions of the human body. For instance, it’s essential for the synthesis of collagen, carnitine, and certain neurotransmitters. Also, it’s crucial for protein metabolism and wound healing.
Furthermore, vitamin C may decrease the risk of developing osteoporosis, as it increases the absorption of calcium.[1,2]
Moreover, vitamin C improves the absorption of nonheme iron; the type of iron found in plant-based foods.
In addition, vitamin C is beneficial for the skin. It prevents skin aging and the formation of wrinkles. Also, vitamin C can regenerate other antioxidants, such as vitamin E!
Most noteworthy, vitamin C may delay or even prevent the development of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. It boosts the immune system and fights oxidative stress.[3]
How much vitamin C do we need a day?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. Pregnant and lactating women require slightly higher doses, though.
Also, smokers should get at least 35 mg more vitamin C than nonsmokers. Smoking significantly increases oxidative stress.
Do blueberries have vitamin C?
Blueberries have moderate amounts of vitamin C. They have 9.7 mg of vitamin C per 100g, or 10% of the recommended daily intake.[4]
A cup of blueberries has 14.4 mg of vitamin C, while a small serving of blueberries has 6.6 mg of vitamin C.
Wild blueberries have a much higher vitamin C content. Raw wild blueberries have 18.3 mg of vitamin C per 100g, or 20% of the Daily Value (DV). Wild blueberries have 88% more vitamin C than commercial grown blueberries!
Are frozen & dried blueberries good sources of vitamin C?
A high percentage of vitamin C is destroyed during food processing or cooking. Vitamin C is temperature-sensitive. Also, it’s degraded by light exposure. Moreover, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. It easily seeps into the water.[5.6]
Hence, fresh blueberries have a much higher vitamin C content than frozen blueberries. Actually, frozen blueberries have negligible amounts of vitamin C. They have only 1 mg of vitamin C per 100g.
On the other hand, dried blueberries are pretty high in vitamin C. They have 23.8 mg of vitamin C per 100g.
However, most people shouldn’t eat too many dried blueberries. They’re packed with calories and sugars. They have 67 g of sugars and 317 calories per 100g. Fresh blueberries have less than 7 g of sugars per 100g and only a few calories!
You can find a wide variety of fresh, organic, and dried blueberries as well as many other blueberry products on Amazon.
Is blueberry juice rich in vitamin C?
Another way to consume blueberry year round is by drinking blueberry juice.
Blueberry juice is also a good dietary source of vitamin C. It has 6.3 mg of vitamin C per 100 mL. Hence, a glass of blueberry juice provides about 15 mg of vitamin C, or 17% of the DV.
Most noteworthy, blueberry juice has a moderate sugar content. It has 6.5 g of sugar and only 37 calories per 100 mL. A glass has about 93 calories and 16 g of sugar.
Certainly, it’s better to consume fresh blueberries, as they’re high in fiber as well. Fruit juices contain no fiber. Getting adequate amounts of fiber is essential for good health.
How much vitamin C is in other common blueberry products?
Other favorite blueberry products, such as jams, syrups, pies, and muffins, contain negligible amounts of vitamin C.
You should avoid these foods. They don’t help meet our daily needs of vitamin C. Most noteworthy, overconsumption of these foods could make you gain weight, as they’re particularly high in calories and sugars.
Only blueberry jams with no added sugar are healthy.
Health benefits of blueberries
Blueberries have so many health benefits, as they’re rich in antioxidants. Blueberries are more than vitamin C. They’re particularly rich in flavonoids (mainly anthocyanidins), polyphenols (procyanidin), phenolic acids, pyruvic acid, chlorogenic acid, and many others![7]
These compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-obesity properties! Also, blueberries have compounds which may protect our vision, bones, liver, and lung.
Moreover, blueberries may prevent degenerative diseases. They may improve brain function, delay cognitive decline, and affect our mood.[8]
In fact, blueberries as well as other anthocyanin-rich foods are associated with a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.[9]
In addition, blueberries have anti-diabetic properties. Consumption of fresh blueberries improves postprandial glucose management and insulin sensitivity. Hence, blueberries may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and obesity.[10,11]
Furthermore, we could eat raw blueberries before bed, as they’re beneficial for a good night’s sleep.
Also, you could add fresh blueberries to your favorite yogurt recipe. Yogurt with berries for breakfast is ideal for weight loss.
Last, but not least, blueberries may enhance immunity and have a beneficial effect on gut microflora.
You can take advantage of these blueberry health benefits year-round with organic blueberry extracts or powders. You can find a wide variety of them on iHerb.
What’s the best time to drink blueberry juice?
The best time to drink blueberry juice is in the morning. First, we will burn most of its sugars for energy.
Moreover, it’s good for you to increase the antioxidant capacity of the body first thing in the morning. Antioxidant compounds in blueberry juice can help the body fight oxidative stress. Air pollution, sunlight radiation, and smoking are key factors that lead to oxidative stress.[12,13,14]
Also, you could drink blueberry juice before or after exercise!
Moreover, eating blueberries in the morning or before a high-calorie meal supports weight loss.
Other foods high in vitamin C
It’s easy to meet your daily needs of vitamin C from your diet alone. There are too many foods high in vitamin C.
There is no need to take vitamin C supplements. Even though, taking high amounts of vitamin C from supplements is considered pretty safe.
Only whole food plant-based foods are good dietary sources of vitamin C, though. Animal-derived or refined foods are poor in vitamin C.
Fruits, such as strawberries, pineapples, kiwis, lemons, papayas, mangos, and all citrus fruits, are among the richest common foods in vitamin C.
Common vegetables rich in vitamin C are broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, kale, spinach, and tomatoes!
Berries are rich in vitamin C
All berries are excellent dietary sources of vitamin C as well. In fact, other common berries contain more vitamin C than blueberries.
| vitamin C (mg) per 100g | |
| strawberries | 59 |
| raspberries | 26 |
| blackberries | 21 |
| cranberries | 14 |
| blueberries | 10 |
