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| Last updated: 06 June, 2005 |
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Blueberries and their health benefits Blueberries are popular fruits, especially in North America. They are delicious eaten on their own or baked into other sweet and savoury dishes. Blueberries are becoming more popular in Scotland although the blueberry industry is in it's infancy in this country. Blueberry sales in the UK lag significantly behind sales of berries such as strawberries and raspberries, especially during the height of their respective growing seasons. During the peak season, only 2.5% of all households buy blueberries – compared with 70% who purchase strawberries. Blueberry consumers are mainly wealthy, small households with no children. However, all consumer groups are spending more on blueberries. The biggest growth in sales is being driven by purchases by households with no children. Although blueberries are still not an ‘everyday’ product in the UK, there has been a higher spend over the past three years.
There are also other compounds contained in blueberries which are not classified as nutrients but which are believed to be beneficial to human health. These are called phenolic compounds and they are known to be powerful antioxidants in the laboratory. Therefore they could help to neutralise free radicals in the body that are often blamed for initiating and speeding up the disease processes involved in heart disease and cancer. In addition to their antioxidant activity, the phenolic compounds in blueberries could have other disease protective properties for example, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-thrombotic and the ability to alter enzyme activities. They also have potential anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-allergic actions. More research is required to find out to what extent these compounds are absorbed and metabolised by humans and what their effects are in the body.
Recently published research on the health benefits of blueberries: Antioxidant Activity: Antioxidants help neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals, produced as a result of both normal metabolism and external factors like pollution and smoking, damage the body’s cells and are linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related chronic diseases. Research indicates that blueberries are a rich source of antioxidants. Anthocyanins – the pigments that give blueberries their colour – are thought to be primarily responsible for the antioxidant activity. Studies show that blueberries could contain more antioxidants than other well-known dietary antioxidant sources such as spinach, broccoli, oranges or tomatoes. Sellappan S, Akoh CC, Krewer G. 2002. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of Georgia-grown blueberries and blackberries. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 50(8):2432-2438. Halvorsen BL, et al. 2002. A systematic screening of total antioxidants in dietary plants. Journal of Nutrition. 132:461-471. Prior RL, et al. 1998. Antioxidant capacity as influenced by total phenolic and anthocyanin content, maturity, and variety of Vaccinium species. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 46:2686-2693.
Anti-Aging: Studies with older laboratory animals suggest that flavonoids in blueberries may help reverse age-related declines like memory loss and compromised motor control and balance. Some research has shown neuron regeneration in older animals. Youdim KA, et al. 2000. Short-term dietary supplementation of blueberry polyphenolics: Beneficial effects on aging brain performance and peripheral tissue function. Nutritional Neuroscience. 3:383-397. Joseph A, et al. 1999. Reversals of age-related declines in neuronal signal transduction, cognitive, and motor behavioral deficits with blueberry, spinach, or strawberry dietary supplementation. The Journal of Neuroscience. 19(18): 8114-8121.
Cancer Inhibition: Polyphenols present in blueberries may also help protect against cancer. Wedge DE, et al. 2001. Anticarcinogenic Activity of Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry Extracts to Breast and Cervical Cancer Cells. Journal of Medicinal Food. 4(1):49-51.
Coronary Disease Prevention: Blueberries may reduce the build up of so-called "bad" (LDL) cholesterol that contributes to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Flavonoids and phenolic acids are believed to be the active antioxidants. Heinonen IM, Meyer AS, Frankel EN. 1998. Antioxidant activity of berry phenolics on human low-density lipoprotein and liposome oxidation. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 46:4107-4112.
Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections: Studies have shown that proanthocyanidins, a class of antioxidant, in cranberries and blueberries protect against urinary tract infections. The proanthocyanidins appear to prevent bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract. Howell AB, Vorsa N, Der Marderosian A, Foo LY. 1998. Inhibition of the adherence of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli to uroepithelial-cell surfaces by proanthocyanidin extracts from cranberries. New England Journal of Medicine. 339(19): 1408-1408. |
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