Today is a great day to feel blue, well even if you’ve been feeling blue all month that’s okay because July is National Blueberry Month. Tiny, juicy, and full of antioxidants, the blueberry certainly deserves more celebration than just a single month, but here we are and the flavors are explosive.
Prior to the early 1900s, the only way to enjoy this little fruit was from foraging out in the wild with hopes that the critters hadn’t got to the bush first. But now grown around the world for commercial consumption, the blueberries are readily available to be enjoyed for close to 6 months out of the year. And of all the blueberries grown around the world, more than half are shipped to the fresh market, to keep pace with the ever-increasing demand. The rest are frozen, pureed, concentrated, canned, or dried to be used in a wide range of food products.
And of that wide range of food products, the blueberry has found its way into our Fast Burning Blueberry Bergamot gel. Our Fast Burning products are made with dehydrated fruits, and specifically in our BB gel, the blueberries are dehydrated to maximize flavor and nutrition density. These simple sugar sources metabolize quickly and when combined with our mineral rich and low glycemic electrolyte base, the result is a clean, fast fuel source for your shorter adventures and/or staged throughout a long haul.
Why do we use blueberries as one of the 5 simple ingredients, it’s because blueberries are believed to have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all common fruits. Filled with anthocyanin (the reason why blueberries are blue), vitamin C, copper, and iron, these antioxidants work to elevate your immunity to prevent infections. Also, blueberries are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin K, which all work to strengthen bones and maintain bone structure… which is awesome when the leg bones, that are connected to the hip bones, are out taking a pounding on the trail or road. And because we’re all about spreading the love, blueberries are also great for the heart.
All said and done, the little blue fruit that once solely grew in the wild is a bite-sized treat from nature packed with all the goodies and antioxidants that our bodies need. And as we always look to nature for our ingredients, while raising our blueberry flag high in July, it is the king of antioxidants that keeps us pushing further out on the trail and smiling when we’re feeling blue.
Highly nutritious, blueberries are among the world’s most powerful sources of antioxidants. Bergamot has been known to lower blood sugar levels and reduce fatty deposits in the liver. Bergamot essential oil, which we use, is rich in bergamot polyphenols. Bergamot is also used in aromatherapy to reduce anxiety. These two unlikely characters will continue to dazzle your taste buds long after you eat it!
Fun Facts About Blueberries
- Ten states grow 98 percent of U.S. blueberries: California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington.
- North American highbush blueberry production has increased by more than 500 million pounds in the past 20 years.
- Peak blueberry season in most of the country runs from mid-June to mid-August (thus July being National Blueberry Month).
- Blueberries freeze in just 4 minutes… are you adding blueberries to your grocery list to try this?
- One cup of blueberries contains 80 calories, 3.6 grams of fiber and 25 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C.
- Fresh blueberry consumption per person more than doubled between 2007 and 2012, from 0.5 to 1.2 pounds.
