Health Alert 178
Care to guess the natural food that has the highest concentration of antioxidants? It’s the humble blueberry. They help your body fight off certain cancers and heart disease. They can also fend-off memory loss, the most common cause of loss of vision and varicose veins. And, they are delicious.
Today, you will learn about how eating blueberries fights these diseases. Some of the research on blueberries may surprise you.
* The Health Benefits of Blueberries *
Blueberries are health food superstars. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also contain other plant nutrients that promote health and prevent disease. Blueberries are high in antioxidants, flavonoids and anthocyanins. These substances are at the root of the new research on blueberries.
Blueberries Improve Memory.
A team at Tufts University found that eating blueberries prevents loss of short-term memory. They showed that feeding mice a cup of blueberries a day increased their mental abilities and learning. The mice also improved their memory skills and explored their cages more. 1
They then pinpointed the chemical cause of these improved skills. As it turns out anthocyanin, the dye that gives blueberries their color, protects brain cells. It also contains antioxidants and calms inflammation.
Now they have begun to conduct the same studies on people. Early results show that people who ate a cup of blueberries a day performed 5-6% better on motor skills tests than control groups did.2
Help Prevent Cancer
Studies conducted at the University of Illinois, show that anthocyanins in wild blueberries may be inhibit both the initiation and promotion stages of cancer.3
Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, another powerful antioxidant. People who eat high levels of ellagic acid are three times less likely to develop cancer than people who don’t. 4
Safeguard against Heart Disease
Free radical damage causes heart disease. New studies are showing that the flavonoids in blueberries attack those free radicals.
Blueberries are also very high in dietary fiber. A single ½ pint has a whopping 5 grams of fiber. A Harvard study of over 40,000 men found that those with a high total fiber intake have a 40% lower risk of heart disease. 5
Protect Your Urinary Tract Veins and Eyes
A Rutgers University team showed that blueberries protect against infections in the urine. Like cranberries, blueberries contain compounds that prevent bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder. 6
Blueberries are rich in certain flavonoids that strengthen the walls of veins. Several European studies show that blueberries improve circulation through the veins, and decrease varicosities. 7
The leading cause of blindness in elders is macular degeneration. An eye specialist at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California found that patients who ate blueberries had a marked improvement in their eyesight. 8
* Let the Ripe Berries Burst in Your Mouth *
Adding blueberries to your diet is a simple and flavorful way to improve your health through your diet. Fresh blueberries are available for nearly eight months of the year from producers across the Untied States and Canada.
The best blueberries are from the United States rather than South America. Other countries often spray their fruits with toxic pesticides. Blueberries freeze well. Freezing will preserve much of their health improving nutrients. Simply put room temperature berries into ziplock bags and freeze. Rinse before using.
Al Sears, Ph.D.
1. Journal of Neuroscience, September 15, 1999, 19(18); 8114-8121
2. ibid
3. Journal of Food Science, Vol. 65, No. 2, 2000
4. Stoner, G., Ellagic Acid: A Naturally Occurring Inhibitor of Chemically-Induced Cancer. 1989
5. Harvard School of Public Health – Fiber, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber.html
6. NEJM, October 9, 1998, Volume 339, Number 15
7. The Dorset Blueberry Co., Health Benefits: http://www.dorset-blueberry.com/medical_benefits_blueberries.asp