Blueberries

Food · Fruit · Food, Typed Supps

A mixture of hundreds of antioxidant compounds no single pill copies.

Stage by stage

Intake (Skin releases anthocyanins): Chewing releases anthocyanins, the pigments giving blueberries their color, concentrated in the skin.
Stomach (Digestion begins): Sugars and plant compounds begin releasing during digestion.
Small intestine (Anthocyanins absorbed): Anthocyanins are absorbed, though less efficiently than many nutrients — gut bacteria further process much of what isn’t directly absorbed.
Bloodstream (Antioxidant activity): Circulates with antioxidant activity, studied for effects on inflammation and memory-related markers.

Timing

Fresh or frozen both retain most of the anthocyanin content.

Time to effect

Weeks: Regular intake is linked to modest cognitive and inflammatory markers in studies.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

In season

June to September in the northern hemisphere, December to March in the southern.

Satiety

195 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

1.5 kg CO2e and 420 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Berries & grapes" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £9 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Anthocyanins
Fiber
Vitamin C
Vitamin K

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 49.7
Protein: 0.5g
Carbohydrate: 10.7g
of which sugars: 10.3g
Fat: 0g
of which saturated: 0g
Fibre: 3g
Sodium: 2mg

Food vs. supplement

No single antioxidant supplement replicates the mixture of hundreds of different polyphenol compounds found in a cup of blueberries — isolated antioxidant pills (like resveratrol or quercetin alone) capture only one piece of what the whole food provides.

Kitchen tip

Frozen berries retain nearly the same antioxidant content as fresh and are usually cheaper - no need to buy fresh out of season.

Common myth

“Frozen blueberries are nutritionally inferior to fresh.” In reality: Frozen berries are typically flash-frozen at peak ripeness and retain comparable antioxidant content to fresh — often more than fresh berries that have sat for days.