16 replies to this topic

[tham]

Some of this has been posted elsewhere in the forum before,
so will summarize here.


Blueberries protect against damage from heart attacks, prevents
post-heart attack congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy .


http://www.ncbi.nlm....cles/PMC2693933

http://www.ncbi.nlm....s/pmid/19936253



Blueberries improve senile memory loss, fight Alzheimer's, Parkinson's.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....cles/PMC2891857

http://www.ncbi.nlm....cles/PMC2850944


" ..... whole BB (blueberry) and combined PAC (proanthocyanidin)
fraction showed greater protective effects against the stressors than
the more fractionated polyphenolic components. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....09/?tool=pubmed


Short-term blueberry-enriched diet prevents and reverses object
recognition memory loss in aging rats.

" ..... a considerable degree of age-related object memory decline can
be prevented and reversed by brief maintenance on blueberry diets. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21168307


Grape Juice, Berries, and Walnuts Affect Brain Aging and Behavior

" ..... berries, Concord grapes, and walnuts may increase “health span”
and enhance cognitive and motor function in aging. "

http://jn.nutrition....39/9/1813S.long


Blueberries protect the kidneys.

" Long-term feeding of BB-enriched diet lowered blood pressure, preserved
renal hemodynamics, and improved redox status in kidneys of hypertensive
rats and concomitantly demonstrated the potential to delay or attenuate
development of hypertension-induced renal injury .... "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....s/pmid/21949690




Potential to prevent/treat Parkinson's in addition to Alzheimer's.

In the above roundworm lifespan study, referenced to James Joseph's study :

" In particular, 8-week dietary supplementation with spinach, strawberry
or blueberry (BB) extracts was effective in reversing age-related deficits
in neuronal function and behavior in aged (19 month) F344 rats (Joseph
et al., 1999). However, only the BB-supplemented group exhibited improved
performance on tests of motor function. Specifically, the BB-supplemented
group displayed improved performance on two motor tests that rely on
balance and coordination, rod walking and the accelerating rotarod, while
none of the other supplemented groups differed from controls on these tasks. "


" ..... blueberry supplementation may be effective in reversing the deleterious
effects of aging on calcium homeostasis that have been reported previously "

" The blueberry-supplemented animals were the only group to show reversals
in motor behavioral deficits. It is well known that age-related decrements in
motor behavior involving alterations in balance and coordination as reflected
in the tests we have used in this experiment have been very resistant to
reversal. "



http://www.jneurosci...8114.long#aff-1

Edited by tham, 27 October 2012 - 12:00 AM.

[tham]

Blueberries and triple negative breast cancer.

Whole blueberry powder modulates the growth and metastasis of MDA-MB-231
triple negative breast tumors in nude mice.


http://jn.nutrition....41/10/1805.long



Blueberry Husks and Probiotics Attenuate Colorectal Inflammation and Oncogenesis,
and Liver Injuries in Rats Exposed to Cycling DSS-Treatment

http://www.plosone.o...al.pone.0033510



" Blueberries Shrink Tumors "

http://www.healthier...ink-tumors-0268



Blueberries :
" Colorful Protection For a Healthier Heart, Sharper Brain, and Cancer Defense "

http://www.lef.org/m...eberries_01.htm



"Blueberry Ameliorates Hepatic Fibrosis "

http://www.scienceda...00617102706.htm



Pterostilbene and cancer: current review.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22099605



Anthocyanins extracted from Chinese blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.)
and its anticancer effects on (drug-resistant) DLD-1 and COLO205 cells

http://www.cmj.org/P...929514859809825

Edited by tham, 26 October 2012 - 11:56 PM.

[zorba990]

I love blueberries! Trader Joe's has organic and Wildcrafted pesticide free frozen blueberries at very reasonable prices. The only issue I have is that they seem to be very teeth staining (but so is a lot of the stuff I put in my smoothies). Since I'm trying to avoid plastics (straws), I'm trying to work out how to swallow the smoothies without it much touching my teeth. Another thing for my lady to have a good laugh about.

[tham]

A Comparative Look at Resveratrol and Pterostilbene


" .... pterostilbene shows 95 percent bioavailability while resveratrol only has
20 percent bioavailability. In addition, pterostilbene's half-life is seven
times longer than resveratrol, 105 minutes and 14 minutes respectively. "


http://digitaleditio...e.php?id=933208



Pterostilbene - Resveratrol's lesser known (but no less powerful) cousin

" The researchers found high concentrations of pterostilbene in brain tissue
whereas the resveratrol was undetectable. Another study found that
pterostilbene was the most effective among a group of resveratrol-like
compounds at preventing the loss of dopamine from memory centers in
aged rats. This same study showed that working memory function was
correlated with levels of pterostilbene in the hippocampus, a key brain
location where memory is processed. "

http://www.naturalgr...powerful-cousin



" While both compounds were found to boost levels of cognition, those receiving the
pterostilbene demonstrated modulated markers of cellular stress and inflammation.
This effect was not seen in the resveratrol supplemented mice. "

http://www.naturalne...ene_memory.html



Low-dose pterostilbene, but not resveratrol, is a potent neuromodulator in aging
and Alzheimer's disease


" Two months of pterostilbene diet but not resveratrol significantly improved radial arm
water maze function in SAMP8 compared with control-fed animals. Neither resveratrol
nor pterostilbene increased sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression or downstream markers of
sirtuin 1 activation. Importantly, markers of cellular stress, inflammation, and AD pathology
were positively modulated by pterostilbene but not resveratrol and were associated with
upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha expression. "

" .... at equivalent and diet-achievable doses pterostilbene is a more potent modulator of
cognition and cellular stress than resveratrol, likely driven by increased peroxisome
proliferator-activated receptor alpha expression and increased lipophilicity due to substitution
of hydroxy with methoxy group in pterostilbene."

http://www.neurobiol...e/S0197-4580(11)00337-X/abstract



Resveratrol Good But Pterostilbene Better for Brain Function

http://www.emaxhealt...-brain-function



Resveratrol may boost mental functions, but pterostilbene may be even better:

http://www.nutraingr...Animal-studies/



Pterostilbene may protect against asthma

http://www.nutraingr...thma-Cell-study

Edited by tham, 27 October 2012 - 10:41 PM.

[tham]

Blueberry polyphenols increase lifespan and thermotolerance
in Caenorhabditis elegans

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC1413581/



Blueberry extract prolongs lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22197903




Nutraceutical Interventions for Promoting Healthy Aging in Invertebrate Models

http://www.hindawi.c...ed/2012/718491/



Effects Of Blueberries On Mortality Rates And Indy Gene Expression In
Drosophila Melanogaster

http://digitalcommon...31&context=tnas




" Blueberries Boost Longevity "

http://www.lef.org/m...ongevity_01.htm

[Mind]

Blueberries have a ton of epidemiological studies behind them. I eat them as often as I can afford them. I am trying to grow larger quantities as well. Blueberries could be easily be considered a wonder/super fruit, so I was surprised to hear that Dave Asprey favors blackberries over blueberries, based on the fact that blackberries have less sugar.

Edited by Mind, 05 December 2012 - 06:11 PM.

[tham]

I think the hypoglycemic effect of blueberries would override the moderately
extra amount of sugar in it.

This second reviewer here reports that it abolished his sugar cravings.

http://www.iherb.com...49/?p=1&lang=en



The proper link to James Joseph's study on pterostilbene vs resveratrol again.
The pages here seem to have some bugs in displaying links with brackets, etc.

http://www.neurobiol...0337-X/abstract

Edited by tham, 04 December 2012 - 11:01 PM.

[sapentia]

I eat a cup of frozen wild blueberries everyday for all the positive reasons listed above. As for sugar content - blah! One cup of blueberries has around 60 kcal's and a substantial amount of fiber.

[chung_pao]

"The bioactive principles contained in blueberries (Vaccinium) are various kind of anthocyanins (anthocyanidins, or phenolic aglycone, conjugated with sugar), chlorogenic acid, flavonids, alpha-linolenic acid, pterostilbene, resveratrol, and vitamins. After oral administration, anthocyanins can pass through blood-brain barrier and thus appear in various organs and brain. Improve visual function by increasing rhodopsin regeneration and ocular health is the earliest reported bioactivities of anthocyanin. Recent studies demonstrated the benefit of blueberries to prevent the age-related chronic diseases such as cancer, diabeties, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, neurodegeneration, obesity, and osteoporosis through its apoptosis, antioxidant, antiinflammation, and antiangiogenesis effects."

Interesting that they contain chlorogenic acids aswell. These may be responsible for the hypoglycemic effects, since they are what make green coffee bean extract a novel, and very effective weight-loss aid.

"Delphinidin and malvidin were the predominant anthocyanidins in the varieties tested, with concentrations ranging between 45.0 and 74.9 mg/100 g FW for delphinidin and between 37.1 and 62.2 mg/100 g FW for malvidin. Flavanol dimers were the most abundant flavanols, with a mean percentage of 24 ± 1.5% of the total, with flavanol monomers representing 11 ± 0.7%."

37-75 mg /100g.
That's quite a bit!

Edited by chung_pao, 13 December 2012 - 12:42 AM.

[daouda]

What about bilberries? (Vaccinium myrtillus) Blueberries are difficult to find in Europe, bilberries are widely available in frozen form etc... According to this article http://www.mirtosele...y_blueberry.asp their anthocyanin content is much higher than that of blueberries, but are bilberries anthocyanin as beneficial as the blueberry ones?

EDIT
Just found these threads
http://www.longecity...berry-extracts/
http://www.longecity...pean-blueberry/
Apparently bilberries would be even better/more bang for the buck
Also http://www.healwithf.../bilberries.php it seems that what you call "wild blueberries" may be bilberries? It's quite confusing

Edited by daouda, 13 December 2012 - 01:15 AM.

[tham]

On James Joseph's groundbreaking work.

http://www.lef.org/m...eberries_01.htm



" Blueberries Help Lab Rats Build Strong Bones "

http://www.scienceda...10621114143.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20499363

[Adaptogen]

Currants, gooseberries, incaberries, rasberries- I would guess that all of these have comparable to, or greater health benefits than blueberries

[seleukos]

Is anyone somewhat knowledgeable about the bioavailability of anthocyanins in vivo? My understanding is that a lot of the studies regarding the antioxidant properties of anthocyanins are in vitro and do not account for absorption when, say, we eat blueberries. I'm also aware that blueberries have nonetheless shown promise and, seemingly, superiority over other fruits in anti-aging effects, combating age-related cognitive decline, etc. From what I've read, it's not necessarily the anthocyanins directly acting as an antioxidant (as they are often erroneously attributed doing in dietary form despite this only being shown in vitro), but perhaps by way of their modulating cell signal transduction in a manner that has secondary antioxidant effects.

Full disclosure: I eat a tremendous amount of blueberries, my family having a summer house in western massachusetts with an unbelievable infestation of blueberry bushes growing on the property. We've always picked innumerable pounds of them during summers and frozen them. I'd like to believe I've been pumping my body full of potent and bioavailable antioxidants for years rather than merely eating a very nutritious fruit loaded with vitamins and fiber, but is this wishful (and therefore unscientific) thinking?

[blood]

Is anyone somewhat knowledgeable about the bioavailability of anthocyanins in vivo? My understanding is that a lot of the studies regarding the antioxidant properties of anthocyanins are in vitro and do not account for absorption when, say, we eat blueberries...

This has likely already been posted to Longecity, but just in case you missed it:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17319688

Enhanced absorption of anthocyanins after oral administration of phytic acid in rats and humans.

Matsumoto H, Ito K, Yonekura K, Tsuda T, Ichiyanagi T, Hirayama M, Konishi T.
Source

Food and Health R&D Laboratories, Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., 5-3-1, Chiyoda, Sakado-shi, Saitama 350-0289, Japan. hitoshi_matsumoto@meiji.co.jp

Abstract

Many studies on the bioavailability of polyphenols have been reported. However, the relative urinary excretions of AC are also low, ranging from 0.004% to 0.1%. By contrast, other polyphenols show higher urinary excretion levels. Here, we studied the enhancing effects of phytic acid (IP6) on absorption of blackcurrant anthocyanins (BCAs) in rats and humans. In rats after oral administration of BCAs (as 241 mg of AC/kg body weight) in IP6 (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%) solution, the ACs recovery in urine was increased dependent on IP6 dose. These results suggest that the IP6 enhances gastrointestinal absorption of ACs. At the further analysis of IP6 enhancement effect in rat, whereas BCAs were normally passed through the stomach and duodenum within 2 h, in IP6 group, after 2-6 h post-administration, stomach and jejunum content's weights were specifically heavy, and large amounts of ACs were also detected in stomach, duodenum, and jejunum. These results suggested that the mixture of BCAs and IP6 reduced the gastrointestinal motility. Prolongation of ACs residue in gastrointestinal tract then caused the enhancing effects of IP6 on absorption of AC. In the human study, each subject was orally administrated a BCA beverage containing BCA concentrate (AC 4 mg/kg body weight), 1% of IP6, and 1% of sodium citrate as a pH stabilizer. Both the plasma level and the urinary excretion of AC were increased as compared to BCA administration without IP6. AC intake with IP6 may increase the bioavailability of AC to the comparative level as other polyphenols. Yet, phytic acid, being a strong chelator of important minerals, contributes to mineral deficiencies. An interference with iron uptake has been reported. Safety tests are therefore necessary before high dose IP6 can be used in foods.

Maybe take a few 500 mg IP6 capsules along with your blueberries?

[tham]

Bioavailability is not particularly good here :


Berry anthocyanins and anthocyanidins exhibit distinct affinities
for the efflux transporters BCRP and MDR1.

The present data suggest that several anthocyanins and anthocyanidins
may be actively transported out of intestinal tissues and endothelia,
limiting their bioavailability in plasma and brain.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19922539


However, pterostilbene (in James Joseph's classic study) and delphinidin,
two of the main components in blueberries, are known to be found in fairly
good quantities in the brain and CNS after normal supplementation, so if you
eat lots, there are bound to be benefits.

An alternative or addition to eating blueberries would be to take :

1. A pterostilbene supplement

2. Delphinidin. Since it can't be found as a supplement, take in the form
of the natural food coloring, E163b.

http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e163.htm

Delphinidin can also be extracted easily from the butterfly pea, Clitoria ternatea.
You can grow this easily as a creeper. Can be eaten raw.

http://kebunmalaykad...-give-away.html

http://www.thompson-...rfly-pea/4663TM

http://www.seedscoll...a-terna100.html

http://davesgarden.c...ides/pf/go/528/



Anthocyanins in aged blueberry-fed rats are found centrally and
may enhance memory.

" These findings are the first to suggest that polyphenolic compounds are
able to cross the blood brain barrier and localize in various brain regions
important for learning and memory. Correlational analyses revealed a
relationship between MWM performance in BBS rats and the total number
of anthocyanin compounds found in the cortex. These findings suggest
that these compounds may deliver their antioxidant and signaling
modifying capabilities centrally. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/16053243


Bilberry and its main constituents have neuroprotective effects
against retinal neuronal damage in vitro and in vivo.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19415665


A berry thought-provoking idea: the potential role of plant polyphenols
in the treatment of age-related cognitive disorders.

" Blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, grape and plum juices or extracts
have been successfully tested in cognitively impaired rodents. "

" ..... one ought to consider the poor bioavailability of these products, the
possible need to initiate the experimental therapy long before the onset
of symptoms, and currently limited knowledge about the appropriate
form (e.g. juice, powder or individual polyphenol) of treatment. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22475317


Low-dose pterostilbene, but not resveratrol, is a potent neuromodulator
in aging and Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21982274


A Review of Pterostilbene Antioxidant Activity and Disease Modification

http://www.hindawi.c...ed/2013/575482/



Clinical Study Showed a Blueberry Antioxidant, pTeroPure® (pterostilbene),
Significantly Reduced Blood Pressure in Adults

http://www.prnewswir...-170538836.html

[aiojou]

Where I work (down south and in the research dept) one of the research groups are using blueberries to help cure brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. Apparently, whatever is in blueberries that reverses alzheimer's doesn't pass over the brain membrane well. So the scientists are working on creating a man-made version that can. They seem to be pretty close because the government is backing them a lot. This is a rather new team (just came here in June) and they have an overly large amount of funds. 

[sthira]

Wild blueberry extract could help prevent dental plaque formation.

Amel Ben Lagha, Stéphanie Dudonné, Yves Desjardins, Daniel Grenier. Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifoliumAit.) Polyphenols TargetFusobacterium nucleatumand the Host Inflammatory Response: Potential Innovative Molecules for Treating Periodontal Diseases. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2015; 63 (31): 6999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b01525