For example, there've been some dramatic studies on blueberries and memory. Researchers at Tufts University and the USDA published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience showing that animals that consumed an extract of blueberries, strawberries and spinach every day showed significant improvements in short term memory. What's more, in that same study, only the animals consuming the blueberries also improved their balance and coordination, which tend to deteriorate as we get older. Blueberries might wind up being one of your great anti-aging remedies, and they cost a lot less than drugs!

If improvement in memory, protection against loss of balance and coordination and protection of blood vessels wasn't enough, it looks like blueberries can also help promote urinary tract health. According to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, blueberries ‑- like cranberries ‑- contain compounds that help prevent the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections from attaching to the bladder wall.

Want more reasons to eat blueberries? They may help prevent a leading cause of blindness! In fact, wild blueberries are called "the vision fruit" in Japan, because they have very high concentrations of anthocyanin, a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound whose benefits reportedly include reducing eyestrain and improving night vision. And there are currently plans to study the ability of blueberries to prevent macular degeneration, a disease of the retina and the leading cause of blindness in people over age 65.