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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.

 

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Health Benefits: Cancer

hikersAt 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.