A Cook's Illustrated taste test declared that Compared with cultivated, wild blueberries are small, firmer in texture and more sweet and tangy in flavor.
At the University of Illinois, cancer researcher
May Ann Smith, Ph.D. and associates showed that proanthocyanidin
in wild blueberries inhibits an enzyme involved in the promotion
stage of cancer.
Smith applied extracts from wild blueberries, cultivated
blueberries and bilberries (the European cousin of the wild
blueberry) to living cells at various stages in cancer
development. Wild blueberries exhibited the greatest anticancer
activity of all the berries.
USDA scientists have recently discovered that blueberries and
cranberries contain significant levels of resveratrol, a natural
compound that has been found to have anti-cancer qualities.