How many blueberries a day is too much?

Blueberries are a nutritious fruit that provide many health benefits. But how many blueberries can you eat in a day before it becomes too much? Here is a quick overview of blueberry nutrition facts and daily recommendations.

Blueberry Nutrition Facts

One cup (148 grams) of blueberries contains (1):

  • 84 calories
  • 21 grams carbs
  • 4 grams fiber
  • 15 grams sugar
  • 24% DV vitamin C
  • 36% DV vitamin K
  • 25% DV manganese
  • Small amounts of vitamins A, B6, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc
  • Antioxidants including anthocyanins, flavonols, resveratrol, tannins, phenolic acids

Some of the top health benefits of blueberries include (2, 3):

  • High antioxidant content to fight free radicals and reduce inflammation
  • May boost heart health by improving blood pressure, cholesterol, and endothelial function
  • May aid blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity
  • May enhance brain function and cognitive performance
  • May support healthy aging, cancer prevention, digestive health, skin health, weight loss

Daily Blueberry Recommendations

Most experts recommend 1 to 2 cups of blueberries per day as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Here are some specific daily intake recommendations from health organizations:

  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): 1 to 1.5 cups per day as part of their MyPlate initiative for a 2,000 calorie diet (4)
  • Linus Pauling Institute: 1 cup per day for adult men and women (5)
  • Oldways Whole Grains Council: 1⁄2 to 1 cup per day as part of the whole foods-based Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (6)

These daily targets provide a good starting point. However, your personal needs may vary based on your age, gender, activity level, health status, caloric needs, and dietary preferences.

Potential Risks of Too Many Blueberries

Eating more than 2 cups of blueberries per day is unlikely to cause harm in healthy adults. However, some potential risks of going overboard may include:

  • GI issues: Too much fiber from blueberries could cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea
  • Blood sugar spikes: While blueberries have a low glycemic index, excess intake could raise blood sugar
  • Weight gain: Overconsumption of any food adds extra calories which could lead to weight gain over time
  • Toxicity: Extremely high intakes of manganese from blueberries could potentially cause neurological problems, although this is very unlikely with normal consumption

Certain groups may need to be more cautious with their blueberry intake:

  • People with fructose malabsorption or IBS: Too much fructose from blueberries can trigger gut issues
  • People taking blood thinners: High vitamin K levels from blueberries may interfere with the effects of warfarin
  • People with diabetes: Should monitor blood sugar response to high blueberry intake

Ideal Blueberry Intake Depends on Your Goals

How many blueberries you can eat per day depends partially on why you are eating them and what health benefits you are aiming to achieve, such as:

Heart health:

1 cup per day to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and endothelial function (7).

Brain health:

1⁄2 to 1 cup per day to enhance memory, cognitive function, and motor skills (8).

Digestive health:

1⁄2 to 1 cup to promote growth of healthy gut bacteria and reduce inflammation (9).

Diabetes management:

1⁄2 to 1 cup to lower blood sugar and insulin resistance (10).

Cancer prevention:

1 to 2 cups to protect against oxidative damage from free radicals (11).

Healthy aging:

1 cup to reduce risk of age-related neurodegeneration and macular degeneration (12).

Weight loss:

1⁄2 to 1 cup as a lower calorie fruit option that promotes satiety (13).

How to Fit Blueberries Into Your Diet

Here are some tips for enjoying blueberries as part of a healthy diet:

  • Add fresh or frozen blueberries to yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, muffins, smoothies
  • Mix into salads or grain bowls
  • Blend into sauces, dressings, marinades
  • Enjoy as a snack on their own or with nuts
  • Drink 100% blueberry juice with no added sugars
  • Buy fresh blueberries in season and freeze extras to enjoy year round
  • Pair with foods rich in vitamin C to enhance iron absorption

The Bottom Line

For most healthy adults, 1 to 2 cups of blueberries per day is a safe and nutritious amount that provides great health benefits with little risk. Consuming more than 2 cups daily is unlikely to cause harm, but some people may experience GI upset or blood sugar spikes. Talk to your healthcare provider about the ideal intake for your individual health needs.

Serving size Calories Carbs Fiber Sugar
1/2 cup 42 11g 2g 7g
1 cup 84 21g 4g 14g
1 1/2 cups 126 32g 6g 21g
2 cups 168 42g 8g 28g

References

  1. USDA FoodData Central. Blueberries, raw nutrition facts. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171711/nutrients.
  2. Liu Y, Song X, Han Y, et al. Blueberries inhibit atherosclerosis in apoe-deficient mice by affecting the gut microbiota. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019;63(12):e1800664.
  3. McAnulty LS, Collier SR, Landram MJ, et al. Six weeks daily ingestion of whole blueberry powder increases natural killer cell counts and reduces arterial stiffness in sedentary males and females. Nutr Res. 2014;34(7):577-584.
  4. ChooseMyPlate.gov. How much fruit is needed daily? https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/fruits.
  5. Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Blueberries. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/blueberries.
  6. Oldways Whole Grains Council. The Mediterranean diet pyramid. https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/the-mediterranean-diet-pyramid.
  7. Johnson SA, Figueroa A, Navaei N, et al. Daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(3):369-377.
  8. Miller MG, Hamilton DA, Joseph JA, Shukitt-Hale B. Dietary blueberry improves cognition among older adults in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2018;57(3):1169-1180.
  9. Gugliandolo A, Fusco R, Gugliandolo E, et al. Effects of polyphenol-rich blueberry extract on intestinal microflora and mucosa homeostasis in human cells. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2759.
  10. Stull AJ, Cash KC, Johnson WD, Champagne CM, Cefalu WT. Bioactives in blueberries improve insulin sensitivity in obese, insulin-resistant men and women. J Nutr. 2010;140(10):1764-1768.
  11. Huang WY, Liu YM, Wang J, Wang XN, Li CY. Anti-inflammatory effect of blueberries in TNF-α-induced vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and its underlying mechanism. J Nutr Biochem. 2019;73:108252.
  12. Krikorian R, Shidler MD, Nash TA, et al. Blueberry supplementation improves memory in older adults. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Apr 14;58(7):3996-4000.
  13. Seymour EM, Tanone II, Lewis SK, et al. Blueberry intake alters skeletal muscle and adipose tissue peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor activity and reduces insulin resistance in obese rats. J Med Food. 2011 Dec;14(12):1511-8.

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