The Story of Wild Blueberries – 10,000 Years in the Making

THE ORIGIN STORY

• Wild Blueberries emerged on the desolate plain, aptly called The Barrens of Maine, Eastern Canada, and Quebec, following the retreat of the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago.

• Unlike regular blueberries, Wild Blueberries are not planted. Instead, they are indigenous and spread naturally where Mother Nature put them, with thousands of genetically different varieties in every field.

• The Wabanaki tribes of Maine and Canada were among the first humans to use Wild Blueberries, both fresh and dried, for their flavor, nutrition, and healing qualities.

• Wild Blueberries have never been hybridized or genetically modified to enhance or alter their naturally-occurring characteristics.

• This diversity is what gives Wild Blueberries their intense, delicious, sweet-tart taste and their spectacular blend of complex flavors.

HOW WILD BLUEBERRIES GROW

• Wild Blueberries have an extensive underground rhizome system. As much as 70% of the plant actually lives underground, spreading horizontally in the few inches of organic matter atop the sand and gravel of glacial soil below.

• When pruned, new stems sprout from the rhizome, grow, and form flower buds the first year.

• Wild Blueberries are grown on a two-year cycle. Each year, half of a grower’s land is pruned to encourage vegetative growth while the other half is prepared for the Wild Blueberry harvest from July through August.

• Wild Blueberries are diversity superstars. In fact, because the plants establish themselves naturally, any given Wild Blueberry field can support thousands of different plant varieties, compared with regular blueberries, which might only host a half-dozen varieties in one growing area. This diversity is what gives Wild Blueberries their complex flavor.

• Wild Blueberries survive in thin, acidic, glacial soils and thrive in cold, harsh climates. This has a benefit of naturally reducing crop insects and pests.

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Health Benefits of Wild Blueberries vs. Regular Blueberries

• Most people don’t know that there are two kinds of blueberries – Wild Blueberries and regular cultivated blueberries – and that they are vastly different.

• The millions of plants on the Wild Blueberry Barrens provide a unique genetic diversity and complex flavor profile that cannot be duplicated by cultivated blueberries, which have only a few varieties per acre.

• Maine’s leading expert on Wild Blueberry plants, David Yarborough, Ph.D., professor of horticulture at the University of Maine, notes that Wild Blueberries have adapted to their native environment over thousands of years and have more plant diversity than their regular cultivated counterparts.

• They also contain a more intense concentration of bioactive plant compounds that provide taste and health benefits.

Health Advantages of Wild Blueberries

• Wild Blueberries have twice the antioxidant capacity per serving as compared to regular cultivated blueberries.

• Wild Blueberries have a higher skin-to-pulp ratio than their larger cultivated counterparts. More skin and less water equals more antioxidant-rich pigment and more intense blueberry flavor.

• Wild Blueberries have 30% less sugar than cultivated varieties, with just 10 grams of sugar per cup. Wild Blueberries are a low-glycemic food, scoring 53 on the 100- point Glycemic Index. They also have just 80 calories per one-cup serving.

• One cup of Wild Blueberries provides 4 mg or 200% of the recommended daily allowance of manganese, which the body needs to regulate blood sugar, heal skin problems, and maintain strong bone health. One serving (1 cup) of Wild Blueberries contains 8x the manganese as compared to regular cultivated blueberries.

• With 0.8 mg of iron per cup, Wild Blueberries are ideal for anyone not eating other iron-rich foods, like meat.

• With 6.2 grams of fiber per cup—25% of the recommended daily allowance—Wild Blueberries provide a delicious way to boost fiber intake. One serving of Wild Blueberries has 72% more fiber than regular blueberries.

• Wild Blueberries have a higher concentration per serving of the flavonoid anthocyanin, a phytochemical found in blue-pigmented fruit, that is recognized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So when you eat Wild Blueberries, you get more of what it takes to combat chronic diseases and promote healthy aging.

• Extensive research is revealing just how much Wild Blueberries can improve human health. Findings suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Wild Blueberries may contribute to better brain health, gut health, heart health, cancer prevention, reduced risk of diabetes, and increased urinary tract health.