 |
| Above, yesterday at Gallup Coffee. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Yesterday afternoon was spent in Gallup.
I drove friend Larry Lucier to his doctor appointment in his bus. After dropping him off at the clinic, I headed into downtown Gallup to go to the Gallup Coffee shop.
While there, I enjoyed a hot mocha latte and a blueberry muffin. Both were good.
I recently read an article on wild blueberries on their health benefits. I've always known that they contain great cancer fighting antioxidants, but there are other health benefits as well. Plus, I just happen to like them.
According to an article in the Penobscot Bay Pilot:
ORONO — Wild blueberries, the iconic Maine crop dotting hillsides, decorating sweatshirts and adding personality to local menus, are more than a cultural symbol. Over 20 years of preclinical and clinical studies suggest that regularly consuming wild blueberries supports gut and heart health and may reduce risk factors associated with chronic disease.
Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Maine, recommends one half to one cup per day. She eats them alongside her morning oats or blends them into smoothies.
She has spent her multi-decade career researching the health benefits of wild blueberries in relation to cardiometabolic health. Her work is featured in a comprehensive review from a Cardiometabolic Health Symposium of experts hosted by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America in Bar Harbor in 2025. Twelve experts — including Klimis-Zacas — participated, their work spanning the fields of nutrition, food science, dietetics, nutrition metabolism and physiology, cardiovascular and cognitive function, gut health and microbiology.
Blueberries contain polyphenols, which are bioactive compounds found in many berries, that have particularly powerful effects on vascular health. When compared to conventional blueberries, wild blueberries have twice the antioxidant content, 72% more fiber and 33% more anthocyanins — flavonoids related to the widespread health benefits of the berries, such as improved cardiometabolic health.
Research led by Klimis-Zacas was the first to show that wild blueberries reduce inflammation and vascular dysfunction by targeting the endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining blood vessels that regulates their contraction and relaxation. In preclinical studies, her team found that animals with hypertension and obesity showed reduced inflammation and improved vascular health after consuming wild blueberries for six weeks.
Further analysis revealed that a wild blueberry diet alters vascular structure via glycoproteins — key molecules involved in endothelial signaling processes. These structural changes not only improved endothelial function, but also made the endothelium more resilient to high blood lipids and high blood pressure changes.
“If your endothelium becomes dysfunctional, then everything starts going downhill,” Klimis-Zacas said.
Her lab has also investigated how wild blueberries influence local and systemic inflammation in metabolic syndrome, as well as glucose, lipid metabolism and gut health, to have a greater understanding of blueberries’ potential role in supporting overall metabolic function.
After Larry was done at the doctor's office, we headed to Jerry's Cafe for dinner.
To read more, go here.
