How are blueberries beneficial for your skin?

They make such a lovely image, don’t they? But the substances that blueberries contain are even more lovely.

Antioxidants and skin

Substances found in blueberries can also benefit your skin, an example being antioxidants. These appear to play an important role in protecting against the ageing effects of the sun. But I also regularly read about studies on the beneficial effects antioxidants have on acne, psoriasis, eczema and rosacea.

The colour of the berry

The name of the antioxidants in blueberries is anthocyanin. It is this substance which is responsible for giving the fruit its beautiful colour. But also for leaving that umm…naughty stain on your clothes after rushing your breakfast blueberry smoothie down.

Even more lovely substances

All the photos and recipes on social media are amazing too. More research is still necessary in order to be able to say exactly what the effect a daily handful of blueberries would have on your skin. What is known, though, is that the antioxidants in these berries have a very powerful effect! And we haven’t even mentioned the fibre and vitamin C (also an antioxidant) in this fruit… These alone are already a treat for your skin.

Are you interested in how much of those lovely substances a bowl of blueberries contains?

 

1 bowl of blueberries (100 grams)
Calories (kilocalories) 52 kcal
Fibre (grams) 2,4 g
Anthocyanin (milligrams) 145 mg *
Vitamine C (milligram) 10 mg
Magnesium (milligrams) 5 mg
Vitamin C (milligrams) 10 mg
Beta-carotene (micrograms) 43 µg
Vitamin K (micrograms) 19,3 µg

Source: RIVM

* The concentration of anthocyanin can vary significantly per blueberry. Would you like to get a plentiful supply of this substance? Then go for the blueberry that contains more of this antioxidant. This berry is hard to find in supermarkets because it is not cultivated. It can only be picked in the wild.