Blueberry and Cherry Antioxidant Smoothie
Do you want to get refreshed while also getting your necessary vitamins and minerals? Then you have to try this delicious blueberry and cherry antioxidant smoothie recipe we’re sharing with you today. It’s a low-calorie drink that you can enjoy on hot days or when you want a healthy snack.
Both blueberries and cherries contain essential nutrients that promote well-being. In fact, consuming them strengthens your immune system, reduces bloating, and fights urinary tract infections. Discover how to make it in this article!
Benefits of blueberry and cherry antioxidant smoothies
Before learning how to make this delicious antioxidant smoothie, it’s worth mentioning its health benefits. In addition to hydrating and refreshing your body, it promotes your well-being in many ways.
Benefits of blueberries
Blueberries are characterized by a significant amount of antioxidant compounds, among which you can find anthocyanins and quercetin. These substances have some positive effects on the heart, the brain, and blood glucose levels.
Due to the above, drinking natural blueberry juice helps to prevent common diseases like hypertension, high cholesterol, and other cardiac diseases. Likewise, it promotes balance in the nervous system, strengthens brain health, and reduces the risk of diabetes.
Other important benefits of blueberries are that they:
- Help prevent and treat urinary infections
- Strengthen your immune system
- Improve your lung health
- Help the digestion process
- Block the negative effects of oxidative stress
- Help to prevent premature aging
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Benefits of cherries
Cherries stand out for their high antioxidant, phytochemical, vitamin, and dietary fiber content. These important nutrients protect your cells against the actions of free radicals, minimizing the risk of many chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer.
They also have a positive effect on your cardiac health, thanks to the anthocyanins they provide. Likewise, they improve your digestive health and help combat constipation. Because of this, they’re often used to fight bloating and other digestive issues.
Among other things, this prodigious fruit helps to:
- Reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke
- Combat inflammation and prevent arthritis
- Strengthen your immune system and reduce the risk of infection
- Control high cholesterol levels
- Reduce spikes in blood sugar
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Blueberry and cherry antioxidant smoothie
Making this antioxidant smoothie is very easy. You just need to combine the ingredients in a blender, either with water, vegetable milk, or yogurt. In this case, we recommend you do it with a vegetable milk so that it comes out lighter and is more nutritious.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of blueberries (100 g)
- 1/4 cup of pitted cherries (50 g)
- 1 cup of oat or almond milk (200 ml)
Preparation
- To start, wash the fruits well and remove the pits from the cherries
- Then, add them to the blender
- Next, add the vegetable milk (or liquid of your choice) and blend for a few minutes
- Make sure to get a smooth drink without lumps
- Once it’s ready, serve in a glass with ice cubes and enjoy!
Variation: creamy smoothie with oats, blueberry, cherry, and strawberry
If you want to change up the previous version of this antioxidant smoothie, try this option with oats and strawberries. These ingredients not only give it a delicious flavor, but they also increase its nutritional benefits.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of mixed fruits (blueberries, cherries, and strawberries) (200 g)
- 1/4 cup of oats (50 g)
- 1 tablespoon of ground almonds (15 g)
- 1/4 cup of coconut milk (62.5 ml)
- 1/2 cup of natural yogurt (125 ml)
- Ice to taste
Preparation
- To start, pour the mixed fruits into the blender.
- Then, add the rest of the ingredients.
- Next, blend for a few minutes until everything is well mixed.
- Finally, add ice to taste.
- If you notice the mixture is too thick, add a little water and blend again.
- Enjoy it as a snack at any time!
You still haven’t tried this delicious blueberry and cherry smoothie? As you’ve just seen, it has many benefits. If you want to recharge your energy and take care of your health, don’t hesitate to try either of the recipes we shared with you today. You’ll love them!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Leyva, M. J., Wu, M., Basu, A., Lyons, T. J., Betts, N. M., Aston, C. E., … Du, M. (2010). Blueberries Decrease Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Obese Men and Women with Metabolic Syndrome. The Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.110.124701
- Routray, W., & Orsat, V. (2011). Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins: Factors Affecting Biosynthesis and Properties. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2011.00164.x
- Norberto, S., Silva, S., Meireles, M., Faria, A., Pintado, M., & Calhau, C. (2013). Blueberry anthocyanins in health promotion: A metabolic overview. Journal of Functional Foods. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2013.08.015
- McCune, L. M., Kubota, C., Stendell-Hollis, N. R., & Thomson, C. A. (2011). Cherries and health: A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390903001719
- Ferretti, G., Bacchetti, T., Belleggia, A., & Neri, D. (2010). Cherry antioxidants: From farm to table. Molecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15106993
