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Blueberries

Vaccinium corymbosum

Also known as Highbush blueberry, Lowbush blueberry, Wild blueberry

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Small blue-purple berries of the Vaccinium genus, sold fresh, frozen and dried. Cultivated highbush varieties are larger and milder than wild lowbush fruit, which carries more pigment per gram.

Brain & Cognitive HealthCirculationBlood Sugar & Metabolic HealthHeart Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Cognitive function

Brain & Cognitive Health
Moderate evidence

Research suggests regular blueberry intake may support some measures of memory and executive function, most consistently in older adults with early memory complaints. Trials are small, short and use inconsistent test batteries, so effect sizes are hard to pin down.

What may be going on: Anthocyanin metabolites cross into circulation and have been linked to changes in cerebral blood flow and brain-derived neurotrophic factor signalling.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Endothelial function

Circulation
Moderate evidence

Some trials report improved flow-mediated dilation in the hours after a blueberry drink, with smaller effects reported over several weeks of daily intake. Whether that translates into a difference in cardiovascular events has not been tested.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

Some trials report a blunted glucose and insulin response when blueberries are eaten alongside a carbohydrate load. Longer studies measuring fasting glucose or HbA1c are few and their results are mixed.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited for a blood-pressure effect from blueberries. Pooled analyses report small reductions in systolic pressure that are not consistent across trials and often disappear in the better-controlled studies.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Blueberries

Ask about Blueberries

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories57 kcal3%
Protein0.74 g1%
Total fat0.33 g0%
Carbohydrate14.5 g5%
Fibre2.4 g9%
Total sugars9.96 g—
Water84.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.028 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.047 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.146 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.088 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A3 µg0%
Vitamin C9.7 mg11%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.57 mg4%
Vitamin K19.3 µg16%
Thiamin (B1)0.037 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.041 mg3%
Niacin (B3)0.418 mg3%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.124 mg2%
Vitamin B60.052 mg3%
Folate6 µg2%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline6 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium6 mg0%
Iron0.28 mg2%
Magnesium6 mg1%
Phosphorus12 mg1%
Potassium77 mg2%
Sodium1 mg0%
Zinc0.16 mg1%
Copper0.057 mg6%
Manganese0.336 mg15%
Selenium0.1 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene32 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin80 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.24 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Blueberries, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171711).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • cookedReduces anthocyanins

    Baking and stewing degrade a meaningful share of anthocyanin pigment, and some of what survives leaches into the surrounding liquid.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Large portions can loosen stools

    Blueberries carry fructose and sorbitol. People with fructose malabsorption or irritable bowel syndrome often tolerate a small handful but report bloating, wind or loose stools once the portion goes much beyond that.

  • Allergy

    Salicylate sensitivity

    Berries are among the higher-salicylate fruits. A small number of people with diagnosed salicylate intolerance report reactions that track with berry intake.

  • Worth knowing

    Dark stools can be mistaken for bleeding

    Anthocyanin pigment can darken stool for a day or two after a large serving. That is harmless, but it can be confused with the black stool of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, which is not.