July 10, 2008, Multiply, what is a herb 5, Blueberries

BLUEBERRY, or common bilberry, or whortleberry

Vaccinium Myrtillus L.

You’d be forgiven for thinking blueberries have no place in Britain’s repertoire of home-grown fruit, but you’d be wrong. Blueberries grown on this side of the Atlantic are among the best in the world - so enjoy them!

 
 

I have been delving into my wonderful little herb book again and came across an entry for Blueberries. There are over 200 species of this shrub. This little book claims the part of the plant to be most useful medicinally is the leaves which apparently contain tannins, flavonoid, glycosides, and glucokinins. The fruit itself contain tannins, anthocyanin pigments, organic acids and lots of vitamin C. The pharmaceutical companies harvest this plant on a commercial basis for use in the treatment of diabetes. In folk medicine it has been used traditionally as an antibiotic especially in the treatment of urinary tract infections. For home remedies the most usual method is an infusion of one teaspoon full of dried crushed  leaves and cup full of boiled water, this is used in the treatment of urine tract infections or bladder infections. A decoction of one teaspoon crushed unsweetened dried fruits to one cupful boiled water can be used for diarrhoea

            

http://www.mamaherb.com/Ingredients/View.aspx?id=716&page=1&

This is what this web site has to say;

Blueberries

Description: Blueberries are flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, sect. Cyanococcus. They are shrubs varying in size from 10 cm tall to 4 m tall; the smaller species are known as low bush blueberries, and the larger species as high bush blueberries. The leaves can be deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and from 1-8 cm long and 0.5-3.5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a false berry 5-16 mm diameter with a flared "crown" at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally indigo on ripening. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberries, especially wild species, contain anthocyanins, other antioxidant pigments and other photochemical which may have a role in reducing the risks of some diseases, including cancers. Researchers have shown that blueberry anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols and tannins inhibit mechanisms of cancer cell development in vitro. It also lowers the blood pressure and is a mild Diuretic.

Related Treatments

Conditions Treated: Wounds and Injuries

Specific Conditions Treated: Bruises

Ingredients Used: Blueberries

Description: Bruises are also known as contusions. Bruises develop when small blood vessels under the skin tear or rupture, most often from a bump or fall. Blood leaks into tissues under the skin and causes the black-and-blue color. Bruises heal, usually within 3 to 4 weeks, they often turn colors, including purplish black, reddish blue, or yellowish green. Long periods of standing will cause the blood that collects in a bruise to seep through the tissues. Bruises can occur in some people who exercise rigorously, such as athletes and weight lifters. Bruises in elderly people occur frequently because their skin has become thinner with age. Blueberries contain a flavonoid called proanthocyanidins, which strengthens the walls of capillaries weakened by bruises. Vitamin C present in Blueberries also reduces bleeding from arteries.

And the BBC web site has this to say

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_blueberries.shtml#recipes

(This is for my sister because she is celiac)

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Preparation time less than 30 minutes

Cooking time 10 to 30 minutes

To ring the changes, fresh blackberries, raspberries, loganberries or mulberries can be added instead of blueberries.

Ingredients
175g/6oz rice flour
50g/2oz tapioca flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 rounded tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp salt
150g/5oz caster sugar
60g/2½oz butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, preferably free-range, beaten
60g/2½oz buttermilk
150g/5oz fresh blueberries
12-hole muffin tin lined with paper cases

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/35F/Gas 4.

2. Sift together the rice flour, tapioca flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and xanthan gum in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar and mix well.

3. Whisk together the cooled melted butter, egg and buttermilk in another large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter, egg and buttermilk mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to combine and finally gently fold in the blueberries.

4. Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cases and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly. They are nicest served warm.

 

Tags: medicinal herbs, herbs, plants, blueberries, music, fats domino

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delete reply veryfrank wrote on Jul 17, '08 I take a combination of Lutein and Bilberry extract, for vision improvement/preservation. It is possible that it contributed to the delay of 10 years for my cataract surgery. Usually they are operated on shortly after they are first noted. Mine took 10 years to develop to the point of needing surgery. I decided to learn more about blueberries and bilberries, this is what I found. Blueberries are flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, Cyanococcus. The species are native only to North America. They are shrubs varying in size; the smaller species are known as "low-bush blueberries", and the larger species as "high-bush blueberries". The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a false berry. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit from May through October in the United States and Canada. All species whose English common names include "blueberry" are currently classified in section Cyanococcus of the genus Vaccinium. Several other plants of the genus Vaccinium also produce blue berries which are sometimes confused with blueberries, mainly the predominantly European bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), which in many languages has a name that means "blueberry" in English. Although blueberries are native to North America, they are now grown also in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand and South American countries, and are air-shipped as fresh produce to markets around the world. Beginning in 2005, blueberries have been discussed among a category of functional foods called super-fruits having the favorable combination of nutrient richness, antioxidant strength, emerging research evidence for health benefits and versatility for manufacturing popular consumer alternative health products. Many of the products considered to be more effective, contain the European bilberry, which are imported, from the UK and the European grape growing regions, by major companies that produce vitamin and health care preparations. Apparently bilberries and grapes share the same growing conditions/requirements.

delete reply veroniquemariquita wrote on Jul 11, '08 I never knew all these facts about blueberries. Thanks for posting it. I love them too!

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Jul 11, '08 I love blueberries too and Fats Domino

delete reply midnightingethsemane wrote on Jul 10, '08 I love blueberries. Especially blueberry pie and muffins.

delete reply ladylimoncello wrote on Jul 10, '08 Thanks for posting this. I've found the leaves give off a tea-like aroma in August.