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Blueberries are among the healthiest foods we can eat, with high nutrition and low calories. They even have Oprah´s stamp of approval. 484 words.

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By Beth Nickelaid

Blueberries have it good.

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has put her royal stamp of approval on them, along with her favorite doc, Mehmet Oz, who calls them one of his top anti-aging superfoods.

They´re second only to strawberries in berry popularity, according to food producer Dole.

And they´re among the healthiest foods we can eat, with high nutrition and low calories.

Blueberries are one of only three fruits that are native to North America. American Indians preserved blueberries and used them throughout the year, drying them in the sun or crushing them into a powder. They revered the "star berries," so called because of the five-pointed star that forms at the blossom end, and they also used them medicinally.

Legend has it that the Indians´ gift of blueberries to the Pilgrims helped them survive their first winter in the New World. Many historians believe blueberries were part of the first Thanksgiving feast, according to BlueberryCouncil.org.

If you haven´t been feasting on blueberries lately, here are some benefits that might persuade you to start.

They are among the fruits with the highest level of antioxidants, which may protect against heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

They are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber. One cup of fresh blueberries has 84 calories, 3.6 grams of fiber and 14 mg of vitamin C.

Blueberries are a rich source of plant compounds called phytonutrients, which the Mayo Clinic says may help prevent urinary tract infections.

According to a study reported in 2007, the berries may also help prevent colon cancer. Researchers at Rutgers University, joined by scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discovered that an antioxidant in blueberries, pterostilbene, reduced pre-cancerous growth in lab animals.

"This study underscores the need to include more berries in the diet, especially blueberries," said Dr. Bandaru S. Reddy, a Rutgers chemical biologist and the study´s lead researcher.

If you find that you´re becoming more forgetful, a brand-new study has some news to remember. Researchers in England have found that blueberries can reverse age-related memory problems, according to the study, which will soon be published in the science journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. Participants who added blueberries to their diets saw improvement within three weeks.

Studies have also shown that blueberries can help preserve our vision as we age, increasing visual acuity and warding off macular degeneration.

So, are you ready to stock up? Fresh blueberries are available for nearly eight months of the year from various regions in the U.S. and Canada.

The best berries are firm and plump and have a whitish "bloom" on their surface. If you can´t find fresh berries, head to the freezer case or seek out some dried or infused berries.

Toss them into your yogurt cup, your cereal bowl, your smoothie glass. A few berries, a lot of benefits.

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