What Happens to Your Gut Health When You Eat Wild Blueberries Regularly

Wild blueberries are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which can help support skin, heart, and gut health. Wild blueberries also have more fiber and antioxidants than cultivated blueberries, which can support your digestion.

Wild Blueberries Contain More Soluble Fiber

If you’re looking to boost your gut health, swapping wild blueberries for cultivated blueberries on your plate is a great place to start.

Because wild blueberries are smaller, their greater skin-to-pulp ratio means they have more fiber in a single serving. “A cup of wild blueberries has 6 g of fiber compared to 4 g you would find in cultivated blueberries,” said Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, a nutrition lecturer at California State University, Long Beach, and owner of The Mindful Gut.

In particular, wild blueberries contain soluble fiber, a type of fiber that forms a gel-like consistency in water, which can help aid in digestion. Research suggests that this type of fiber is especially helpful in supporting your gut bacteria.

“Fiber supports regularity and helps promote production of short-chain fatty acids, which are important for gut barrier health and reducing inflammation,” said Lindsay Malone, MS, RD, LD, a nutrition instructor and clinical dietitian at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

They Also Have More Antioxidants

Malone explained that wild blueberries are also known for having higher concentrations of antioxidants than cultivated blueberries, which play a crucial role in gut health.

“Research consistently shows higher anthocyanin content in wild blueberries compared to cultivated varieties,” Malone said. “Anthocyanins, which act as antioxidants, also function as prebiotics by feeding beneficial gut bacteria.”

When a large amount of anthocyanins make it to the large intestine, the gut bacteria transform them into compounds that promote a healthy gut microbiome.

However, both experts agreed that nutritional differences aside, both types of blueberries can offer support for your overall gut health.

“Wild blueberries tend to be more concentrated in certain gut-supportive compounds, but both are healthy choices,” Malone said. “Regular blueberries still provide fiber, vitamins, and polyphenols and support gut health.”

Nutritional Properties of Wild Blueberries

Blueberries are a powerhouse of essential nutrients like magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. In fact, a single cup of raw blueberries contains:

• 84 calories
• 1.1 g of protein
• 21.5 g of carbohydrates 
• 3.5 g of dietary fiber
• 0.5 g of total fat

While cultivated blueberries still pack a nutritional punch, wild blueberries are even more nutrient-dense.

“One of the big differences between wild and cultivated blueberries is their size,” said Sauceda. Wild blueberries are smaller, but they contain a higher amount of certain nutrients, such as fiber and antioxidants.

Are Other Fruits Better Than Wild Blueberries?

When it comes to supporting your digestive health, Malone explained that choosing diverse fruit options offers more benefits than focusing on one single fruit.

“I encourage people to get fruits from different color families to have a wide variety of nutrients,” she said. “Think color, texture, and seasonality.”

According to Malone, other great gut-friendly fruit options to add to your diet include kiwi for regularity, pomegranate for a boost of polyphenols, and apples and pears for additional fiber.