Did you know that blueberries can increase brain activity and improve working memory? I love to eat these sweet berries plain from the punnet, but they work great in so many sweet baking recipes, and in a few savoury recipes like this one!

A study from the Food & Function journal found that blueberries “show that there is a beneficial cognitive effect of consuming fruits and vegetables, tea, coffee and even dark chocolate”. So what’s the secret? All of these foods contain a metabolite called a flavonoid, that is a plant pigment. If you’ve ever eaten frozen blueberries from the packet you’ll know how strongly the colour from these little fruits can stain your fingers! I’ve even tried putting 1 singular blueberry into a creamy-white banana smoothie, and it lightens the shade to pink all by itself! By the time I’ve added the rest of the punnet the smoothie is a deep purple. These flavonoids in blueberries serve important anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic functions for our bodies when eaten. The Linus Paling Institute says that various foods contain these helpful flavonoids. Some of these are tea, citrus fruit and citrus fruit juices, berries, red wine, apples, and legumes. Flavonoids also help out our circulatory system by reducing blood pressure, improving the flexibility of our blood vessels, and slow down the depositing of cholesterol in the walls of our blood vessels.

Improve short term memory with these simple tips for including blueberries:

• Add fresh Australian blueberries to your morning smoothie or cereal
• Snack on a punnet during the day or for dessert
• Create a blueberry, banana & cacao breakfast bowl

First on the list and one of the easiest things to do is to add fresh Australian blueberries to your diet as it’s one of the ultimate brain foods. Fresh blueberries also remain one of the most nutritious, antioxidant-rich fruits in the world.