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Regular consumption (a) of fruits is (1)

a balanced diet.

Nutritionists (b) have always advised people to develop a habit of regularly consuming fruits as they assert (c)

that fruits are (2)

They also state that the health benefits of

some fruits are far greater than many other fruits. A good example is blueberries.

Despite their small size, their health benefits far exceed(d)

(3) .

Most of these benefits are due to the presence of compounds(e) called anthocyanins(f), ,which can be

found (4)

in blueberries. The US National Eye Institute has associated (g)

these compounds with (5)

improvement (h) and restoration (i) of visual acuity (j)

of after exposure to harsh glare (k) has also been attributed to (l) the consumption of blueberries. blueberries. The

compounds can also (6)

, which facilitates blood flow in eyes.

This improvement enables better vision and prevents (7)

The benefits are not limited to eyes only. Research has shown that the strong antioxidants (m) in anthocyanins may also

(8)

as they help to (9)

in the body.

Free radicals (n) are oxygen molecules (o) that have one of their electrons missing and they readily

(10)

to hunt for replacement (p) electrons. These attacks

cause people to age.

Blueberries are so delicate that they should be (11)

particularly important to learn how to (12)

. One thing to bear

in mind is that blueberries should not be washed until they are about to be eaten as this will remove the white-grey

bloom (r) that (13)

. This waxy (s) substance is made up of natural

yeast (t) which (14)

. Hence, blueberries should be kept away

from moisture as presence of water will result in their rapid decay (u).

The choosing process is also essential. When doing your groceries, you should choose only those blueberries that

(15)

on the surface. Blueberries usually come in con-

tainers because of their small size. It is a good idea to shake the container before making purchases to

(16)

of the blueberries inside. You should not buy

those blueberries that move freely in a container as this indicates(v) that they are (17)

and may have been damaged.

Source: Adapted from an article by Sara Chan p.10 , English Street , December 9 , 2008.

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