Blueberry compounds linked to colon cancer and Alzheimer prevention.
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Pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries, may prevent the development of tumours in the colon, if results from an animal study can be translated to humans, researchers have said.
Researchers from Rutgers University told attendees at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society that rats supplemented with pterostilbene had 57 per cent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in the colon than rats not supplemented with the blueberry compound.
The research could boost further the healthy image of the berry, already firmly engrained in consumer's minds for its apparent cholesterol lowering abilities, as well as indications that the fruit could offer protection from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Sales of the fruit have been booming, going from £10.3m (€14.9m) in 2003 to almost £40m (€58m) in 2005, according to UK supplier BerryWorld, driven by dieticians and scientists hailing the fruit as one of nature's superfoods. "To our knowledge, our studies are the first to show that administration of a blueberry constituent, pterostilbene, strongly inhibits the development of early pre-neoplastic lesions in the colon," lead researcher Bandaru Reddy told attendees in Chicago.
The blueberry compound reduced colonic cell proliferation and inhibited certain genes involved in inflammation, both of which are considered colon cancer risk factors. "The results of the study suggest that naturally occurring components offer an attractive alternative for the prevention of colon cancer," said Reddy. "Our results may support dietary prevention of colon cancer and health benefits of blueberries." Eighty per cent of colorectal cancers may be preventable by dietary changes.
The humble blueberry's cholesterol-lowering activity was also given a boost at the ACS meeting, with Agnes Rimando, co-researcher on the colon cancer study, reporting that hamsters fed a high-cholesterol diet containing blueberry skins (7.6 per cent of the diet) had lower levels of plasma and liver triglycerides (TGs), LDL-cholesterol, free and total cholesterol of 39, 18, 19, 30 and 37 per cent, respectively, compared to animals fed the control diet.
Alzheimer's Donation
Donate Online Now
.
Pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries, may prevent the development of tumours in the colon, if results from an animal study can be translated to humans, researchers have said.
Researchers from Rutgers University told attendees at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society that rats supplemented with pterostilbene had 57 per cent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in the colon than rats not supplemented with the blueberry compound.
The research could boost further the healthy image of the berry, already firmly engrained in consumer's minds for its apparent cholesterol lowering abilities, as well as indications that the fruit could offer protection from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Sales of the fruit have been booming, going from £10.3m (€14.9m) in 2003 to almost £40m (€58m) in 2005, according to UK supplier BerryWorld, driven by dieticians and scientists hailing the fruit as one of nature's superfoods. "To our knowledge, our studies are the first to show that administration of a blueberry constituent, pterostilbene, strongly inhibits the development of early pre-neoplastic lesions in the colon," lead researcher Bandaru Reddy told attendees in Chicago.
The blueberry compound reduced colonic cell proliferation and inhibited certain genes involved in inflammation, both of which are considered colon cancer risk factors. "The results of the study suggest that naturally occurring components offer an attractive alternative for the prevention of colon cancer," said Reddy. "Our results may support dietary prevention of colon cancer and health benefits of blueberries." Eighty per cent of colorectal cancers may be preventable by dietary changes.
The humble blueberry's cholesterol-lowering activity was also given a boost at the ACS meeting, with Agnes Rimando, co-researcher on the colon cancer study, reporting that hamsters fed a high-cholesterol diet containing blueberry skins (7.6 per cent of the diet) had lower levels of plasma and liver triglycerides (TGs), LDL-cholesterol, free and total cholesterol of 39, 18, 19, 30 and 37 per cent, respectively, compared to animals fed the control diet.
posted by Valery Yermalitsky at
8:36 AM
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