Detox Water Ingredient Spotlight – Blueberries (with Recipes)

Utilizing detox water is one of the most popular methods of cleansing your body of toxins and harmful chemicals and why wouldn’t it? It fills your stomach, has zero calories, and even helps raise your metabolic rate.

But why not bump up the nutrition and the flavor with blueberries? This wonderful little fruit is the perfect addition to your detox water diet. Plus, the influx of detox water with the natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients will really help you de-bloat.

Since ancient times, blueberries have been used in the treatment and prevention of diseases—all the way back to the Greeks and Romans. Talk about staying power!

North American Blueberries – The Most Common Type of Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods in the world, containing large levels of antioxidants. North American blueberries, in particular, are full of proanthocyanidin, which can help you ward off cancer, build immunity, lose weight, stave off digestive issues, and have clearer skin.

10 Health Benefits of Blueberries

Let’s take a peek at a few of the top reasons to include these tasty nutrition powerhouses into your detox water diet:

1. Blueberries have anti-aging properties.

Blueberries are a great fruit to help counteract the physical and mental effects that come with aging. They contain a huge range of antioxidants that help remove free radicals associated with disease and aging. These free radicals damage cell membranes and DNA through a process known as oxidative stress; antioxidants basically mop up the damaging free radicals that travel through your blood.

Inflammation is the major cause of skin aging and wrinkles. Blueberries contain polyphenol compounds, which help keep cells from aging and aid in helping you look and feel younger. (1)

Blueberries also contain resveratrol, which has been proven to reduce the effects of sun damage and can naturally darken your skin giving you a healthier, younger appearance.

We mentioned proanthocyanidin earlier. This antioxidant is particularly helpful against aging. (2) Found in blueberries, cranberries, bilberries, and green tea, it helps strengthen capillaries and reduce inflammation—which is the world’s most prevalent chronic disease.

2. Blueberries help promote weight loss.

Blueberries are a great addition to add to your weight-loss detox water program—and the fact that they’re readily available really helps. You can find them in almost every grocery store, fresh or frozen.

Low in calories, low on the glycemic index (GI) and high in fiber, blueberries can actually keep you full longer. According to the Mayo Clinic, foods with low GI tend to be digested and absorbed relatively slowly. Foods, such as blueberries, may help to control your appetite and delay hunger cues, which can help in weight loss. (3)

They are also satisfying and sweet!

The fiber in blueberries is insoluble and assists the digestive process in moving food through the intestines. Faster waste elimination will help you avoid constipation, and your overall weight loss will increase. Blueberries also contain tannins, which function as a natural astringent. The tannins reduce digestive tract inflammation, reducing the possibility of diarrhea

3. Blueberries have anti-cancer properties.

Every day, our DNA is under attack from free radicals found in our environment. Since DNA plays a major role in the development of cancer, it’s important that we take preventive measures to repair the resulting damage. (4) Because blueberries are high in antioxidants, they can help neutralize some of the free radicals that contribute to the damage of our DNA.

Studies have shown that daily consumption of blueberries lowers your risk of cancers of the GI tract, esophagus, breast, and lung. (5) A study by J. Surgical Research from 2012 found an antioxidant in blueberries called pterostilbene that inhibits cancer growth and reduce pre-cancerous growth by 57%.

There’s also gallic acid. One study demonstrated that gallic acid slowed and even destroyed breast cancer cells. (6)

4. Blueberries help boost immunity. 

Blueberries are rich in vitamins, such as vitamin C, B complex, vitamin E, and vitamin A. They also contains minerals such as copper, selenium, and zinc, and blueberries are especially high in bioflavonoids—all of which are needed to boost your immune system and prevent infections.

An Oregon State study found two compounds (out of 446!) that stood out in upping immune function: the resveratrol found in red grapes and pterostilbene found in blueberries. Both compounds worked in synergy with vitamin D to significantly affect a gene vital to a properly functioning immune system. (7)

5. Blueberries help promote cardiovascular health.

Blueberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants needed for combatting heart disease. The antioxidants in blueberries work in reducing the buildup of LDL cholesterol in the artery walls. Also, rich in vitamins and phytochemicals known as flavonoids, they reduce heart conditions.

The journal called Circulation published a study in January of 2013 showing that eating blueberries and strawberries together had a huge impact—actually decreasing that actually decreases the risk of a heart attack by 33 percent. This could be because blueberries decrease the LDL (bad cholesterol) naturally. The oxidation of LDL is a crucial step in heart disease prevention. (8)

6. Blueberries promote brain health and cognition. 

Because blueberries contain such a large amount of phenols, especially gallic acid, they are known as “neuroprotective” agents. This effect is due to the interaction between the polyphenols and the aging neurons.

Studies have shown that by consuming more blueberries, subjects’ memory and motor function improved. Studies have also shown that the antioxidants of blueberries tend to accumulate in the parts of the brain that are essential for intelligence. (9) Therefore, consuming blueberries every day can positively affect your memory and continued learning.

It has also been shown that the intake of regular flavonoid-rich foods such as blueberries are linked to delayed onset of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, ischemic diseases and other aging effects.

7. Blueberries help prevent urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections are common in women, and it is well known that cranberry juice can help prevent this type of infection. Blueberries can also help.

Urinary tract infections are caused by the formation of bacterial colonies, such as E. coli, along the inner walls of the bladder. Blueberries contain many of the active substances found in cranberries. These substances are referred to as anti-adhesives, and they help prevent E. coli from attaching itself to the wall of the bladder.

In a study done on seven juices, only blueberry and cranberry contained the active anti-adhesives to help prevent urinary tract infections. (10)

8. Blueberries have anti-diabetic properties.

Several studies have proven that blueberries, even though they taste sweet, have anti-diabetic effects and help improve insulin sensitivity and issues with low blood sugar.

Blueberries are low in sugar when compared to other fruit, and research has shown that blueberries have been beneficial for those with insulin instability and issues with glucose metabolism. These effects have been shown in both blueberries and the blueberry extract.

9. Blueberries help lower blood pressure. 

Blueberries have been shown to benefit people with high blood pressure. One out of every three adults has high blood pressure or hypertension. Another 59 million have pre-hypertension. Bring on the blueberries!

A 2014 study looked at postmenopausal women who had especially high hypertension. For eight weeks, the women in the study received either a freeze-dried blueberry powder equivalent to one cup of fresh blueberries or a placebo. (10)

At the end of the study, the systolic blood pressure dropped 5 percent, and the diastolic dropped more than 6 percent in the real blueberry group. No significant changes were noted in the group that received the placebo.

Nitric oxide also increased significantly in those who had the real blueberries. Nitric oxide aids your blood vessels in maintaining elasticity and dilates your blood vessels, thus reducing your blood pressure.

10. Blueberries help support digestion. 

Blueberries are high in fiber and can do wonders for your digestive system. The vitamins, copper, sodium, and acids also help improve digestion by stimulating the correct gastric and digestive juices to assist in moving food efficiently and safely through your GI system. (11)

In a study done in 2016, eighteen healthy men consumed wild blueberries for 30 days and showed a significant positive change in the gut microbiota. Those researchers concluded that the antioxidants from blueberries were “absorbed and extensively metabolized.”

Not only can you drink blueberry detox water to lose weight and flush your body of toxins, but you will gain the added vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants and it tastes delicious.

Blueberry Detox Water Recipes

These recipes are great to bring along with you and sip all day. Look into getting an infusion water bottle to make it easier when you’re on the go. Here are some of the most popular blueberry detox water recipes

1. Basic Detox Water Blueberries

• 1 ½ cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 20 oz. of cold water
• Place the ingredients in a Mason jar or container and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.

2. Cucumber Blueberry Detox Water

• ½ medium cucumber cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup of blueberries
• 12 oz. of cold water

Place the ingredients in a Mason jar and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.

3. Lemon Blueberry Detox Water

• ½ lemon cut into rings or wedges
• ½ cup of blueberries
• 12 oz. of cold water

Place the ingredients in a Mason jar and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.

4. Orange Blueberry Detox Water

• 1 medium size orange cut into rings or wedges
• ½ cup of blueberries
• 32 of cold water

Place the ingredients in a container and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.

5. Detox Water Cinnamon Blueberry

• 4 sticks of cinnamon or 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup of blueberries
• 32 oz. of cold water

Place the ingredients in a container and refrigerate for overnight to let the flavors infuse.

The Final Word

Blueberry detox water will keep you feeling hydrated, fresh, active, and fit throughout the day.

Try each one of these recipes or experiment with a few of your own. You will be well on your way to detoxifying, hydrating, and bumping up your levels of antioxidants and vitamins. Drink up!