What can blue do for you?

About blueberries

• Blueberries are the common name for the group of flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, section Cyanococcus.

• Other sections in the genus, native to other parts of the world like Europe, include other wild shrubs that produce edible berries, such as cranberries, biliberries and cowberries. These berries are also known for having important health benefits.

Growing popularity

• Blueberries are used in jellies, jams and pies. They are baked into muffins and are an ingredient in many other snacks and delicacies.

• A more recent use of blueberries includes blueberry juice which has now entered the market and is considered a whole new category of juice on the beverage aisle.

• Blueberries have increasingly gained attention; USDA reports indicate that between the years of 1994 and 2003, annual U.S. consumption of fresh blueberries rose approximately 60%.

• This gain in attention is likely due to the increased recognition of the potential human health benefits of regular blueberry consumption.

Health benefits

The health benefits of blueberries are believed to be due to the diverse range of phytochemicals contained within them, giving rise to the following biological properties:

• Antioxidant

• Anticancer

• Anti-neurodegenerative

• Anti-inflammatory

Because of these properties, many studies have been conducted in order to further explore the potential relationship between the components found in blueberries and disease.

What are phytochemicals?

Phytochemicals, commonly referred to as phytonutrients, are naturally occurring non-nutritive (not required in the diet like nutrients) constituents of fruits and vegetables. They are said to be bioactive and are considered to have a beneficial effect on human health.

Reducing cancer risk

Berry fruits, particularly blueberries, have been under recent investigation in regards to their role in cancer prevention. Several different cancers have been investigated, including oral, breast, colon and prostate cancers. One study evaluating the ability of six different berry extracts (including blueberry extract) to inhibit the growth of human oral, breast, colon and prostate tumor cell lines found all extracts to be concentration dependent. The greater the concentration of berry extract, the greater the inhibition of cell proliferation in all cell lines observed, translating to lower risks for cancer. In one study of 10 different fruit and berry extracts, blueberry extract exhibited the greatest effects on colon cancer cells.

Reducing Alzheimer’s risk

The consumption of blueberries is also believed to possibly play a role in delaying or offsetting the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. There have been several rat studies conducted that show promising results. One study fed blueberry extracts to elder rats for eight weeks. After the 8-week feeding, the rats were again examined and the researchers noted a reversal of age-related deficits in both neuronal signaling and behavioral parameters.

Blueberries and GI health

The consumption of phenolic compounds in berries has also been suggested to play a role in gastrointestinal health. One study found that these compounds inhibited the growth of several intestinal pathogens, such as salmonella and staphylococcus. Another study found that berries significantly inhibited growth of the bacterial infection H. pylori, and that the berry extracts also worked to increase the susceptibility of H. pylori to clarithromycin.

Source: This material was first published in the Pennington Nutrition Series pamphlet “Blueberries: Their role in health” by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. To learn more, visit www.pbrc.edu.