For Healthy Aging, Bring on the Blueberries.....

Blueberries are a star in the nutrition (and food-lovers) world. Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center put blueberries high on the list in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other common fruits and vegetables.They contain vitamins C and K, fiber, manganese, omega-3, and various phytochemicals and antioxidants -- including anthocyanins.Native to North America, cluberries belong to the Vaccinium plant family which includes cranberry and bilberry.

Heart

The Women’s Health Study is a large research program established in 1991 byy the national Institutes of Health (NIH) that encompasses a collection of studies that aim to address the most common causes of dealth, disability and poor quality of life in postmenopausal women. One of the study’s findings suggests that women who consume a diet high in anthocyanins have a significantly reduced risk of developing heart disease. A study in the September 2009 issue of the

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition evaluated 120 people with dyslipidemia (abnormal lipid levels) aged 40 to 65 who received 160 mg of anthocyanins extracted from bilberry and black currant, or a placebo twice a day for 12 weeks. At the end of the trial, subjects receiving anthocyanin supplements had lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels (dropping 13.6% from the beginning of the study) and higher “good” cholesterol (a 13.7% increase in HDL cholesterol). The study authors predict that these changes in lipid profiles seen in subjects consuming anthocyanins could translate into a 27% reduction in their risk of coronary heart disease1

Brain Health

With aging, comes stress—and not just the kind you get from your teenager’s fluctuating mood. Human aging is often marked by wrinkles and gray hair. Internally, aging naturally causes an increase in inflammation and oxidative stress inside our cells. Aging also lowers our body’s ability to counteract stress and inflammation. Brain cells are particularly vulnerable to this kind of damage. With too much damage, diseases such as dementia are more likely to appear. It makes sense, then, to minimize this oxidation by consuming

anti -oxidants. Many large, population-based studies show that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables have a reduced risk of developing age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Lead researcher at the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston Joseph A. James noted “dietary supplementation with fruit or vegetable extracts high in antioxidants (e.g.,blueberry or spinach extracts) might decrease the enhanced vulnerability to oxidative stress that occurs in aging. These reductions might be expressed as improvements in motor and cognitive behavior.2 ” Other findings suggest that “blueberry supplementation might prevent cognitive deficits by directly enhancing neuronal signaling and offsetting any putative deleterious effects...2 Recently, researchers at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center found that daily consumption of commercially available wild blueberry juice improved neurocognitive function in older adults with early memory decline. The study asked nine older adults to drink 2 to 2 1/2 cups of wild blueberry juice daily for 12 weeks. Results showed a significant improvement in memory and learning test outcomes compared with the placebo group 3. It should be noted this study was supported by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and the National Institutes of Health. Mice fed a blueberry supplement were found to have better protection against a number of age-related neurodegenerative processes in the brain compared to those not receiv ing a blueberry supplement. The blueberry-supplemented elderly mice also showed improved performance on tests of spatial learning and memory4

This study was also supported by the Wild Blueberry Association and the US Highbush BlueberryCouncil.

References:

1. Qin Y, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90(3):485-492.
2. Jospeh JA, et al. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005;81(1):313S-316S
3. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Jan. 2010;58 (7)
4. Galli RL, et al. Neurobiology of Aging 2006,27:344-350

Questions? Email or call Dr Phillip Dietrich @
650 291-0709 or 1-800-422-9660 Pacific Time
Email: drpjd@earthlink.net