Blueberries contain meaningful amounts of vitamin C and vitamin K, along with smaller quantities of several B vitamins and vitamin E. A half-cup serving (about 148 grams) delivers roughly 16 mg of vitamin C, which covers about 18% of most adults’ daily needs. They’re not a powerhouse for any single vitamin the way oranges are for C or carrots are for A, but their broad vitamin profile, combined with their unusually high antioxidant content, makes them one of the more nutrient-dense fruits you can eat.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the standout vitamin in blueberries. That 16 mg per half-cup won’t cover your entire daily requirement (which sits around 75 to 90 mg for most adults), but it’s a solid contribution, especially if you’re eating blueberries alongside other fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Vitamin C supports your immune system, helps your body absorb iron from plant foods, and plays a key role in producing collagen, the protein that keeps skin, joints, and blood vessels intact.
Vitamin K
Blueberries are a respectable source of vitamin K, the nutrient your body uses to form blood clots and maintain bone density. A cup of blueberries provides roughly 28 micrograms, which is about 24% of the daily value for most adults. This is notable for a fruit. Most high-vitamin-K foods are leafy greens like kale and spinach, so blueberries offer a way to contribute to your intake through a different part of your diet.
B Vitamins
Blueberries contain trace amounts of several B vitamins. Per 100 grams (a little more than half a cup), the numbers break down like this:
- Niacin (B3): 0.42 mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.05 mg
- Thiamin (B1): 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin (B2): 0.04 mg
- Folate: 6 micrograms
None of these amounts are large on their own. You’d need to eat several cups of blueberries to make a real dent in your daily B vitamin targets. But B vitamins work together to help your body convert food into energy and support nervous system function, and blueberries add incremental amounts across the whole family rather than delivering a large dose of just one.
Vitamin E
A 100-gram serving of blueberries provides about 0.57 mg of vitamin E, which is roughly 4% of the daily recommended intake. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes from damage. Blueberries won’t replace high-vitamin-E foods like almonds or sunflower seeds, but they do contribute a small amount alongside the berry’s other protective compounds.
Beyond Vitamins: Why Blueberries Stand Out
If you’re looking at blueberries purely through the lens of vitamins, they’re good but not exceptional compared to other fruits. What sets blueberries apart is their concentration of anthocyanins, the pigments responsible for their deep blue color. These compounds act as antioxidants in the body and have been linked to improved blood vessel function and reduced inflammation. A cup of blueberries delivers more antioxidant activity than most other common fruits, which is why they show up so frequently in research on heart health and cognitive function.
Blueberries also provide about 2.4 grams of fiber per 100-gram serving and a modest amount of manganese, a mineral involved in bone formation and metabolism. The combination of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and minerals in a low-calorie package (about 57 calories per 100 grams) is what gives blueberries their nutritional reputation.
Fresh vs. Frozen Nutrient Levels
A common concern is whether frozen blueberries lose their vitamins compared to fresh. Research comparing vitamin C, provitamin A, and folate levels across fresh, fresh-stored (kept in the fridge for several days), and frozen fruits found no significant differences in most cases. When differences did appear, frozen produce actually outperformed refrigerated-then-stored produce more often than the reverse.
This makes sense when you consider that flash-freezing happens within hours of harvest, locking in nutrient levels at their peak. Fresh blueberries sitting in your fridge for five days gradually lose vitamin C through oxidation. So if you’re not eating fresh blueberries within a day or two of buying them, frozen is nutritionally equivalent or even slightly better. Either way, you’re getting the same vitamin profile.