I have enjoyed the blueberry in just about every way for the past few weeks. My wife, Dianne, is a wonderful cook so she thought everyone might want to understand why blueberries are so healthy for us to eat. I set out to put together this information as I waited for a natural blueberry cobbler to bake.

First, a bit of trivia about the blueberry: It is a true blue American fruit. The blueberry has been around for millennia, playing an important role in folk medicine and the culinary traditions of our native inhabitants and early settlers. It was less than 100 years ago that early horticulturists found a way to tame the wild blueberry, making it possible today for us to enjoy an abundant supply of juicy, sweet cultivated blueberries all year round. Nutritionally, blueberries are a source of Vitamin C and fiber and are a healthy addition to any weight control program. They are virtually fat free and a half a cup contains only 40 calories or about 10 grams of carbohydrate, the equivalent of a half of grapefruit.

It was the discovery of their potent antioxidant activity that put blueberries in the headlines a few years ago and raves continue. Antioxidants had already been identified as “free radical” busters, helping to protect us against oxidative cellular damage that can lead to the development of cancer, heart disease and degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

When over 40 fruits were tested at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on aging in Boston, the Blueberry topped the list. The research showed the Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity (ORAC) of the different fruits and blueberries came out like a shining star. It was clear that non-nutrient phytochemicals in blueberries, primarily the anthocyanins, were the major contributors to this high level of antioxidant activity. Blueberries were then well on their way to celebrity status.

More recently, the same USDA research team has puiblished a comprehensive analysis of the antioxidant content of more than 100 foods: fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and spices. On a per serving basis, blueberries still top the list of low-calorie high antioxidants. However, black beans appear to have a higher ORAC value on a per-serving basis, but only because uncooked beans were analyzed and the values were not corrected for a cooked edible portion.

While the ORAC values cannot tell us how effective individual foods may be in reducing cellular oxidative stress and fighting disease, they do provide us with clues. Inspired by the high ORAC values of blueberries, neuroscientist at the Boston lab on aging set out to determine whether blueberries protect against age-related decline of brain function. They found that aged rats fed a blueberry-supplemented diet experienced significant improvement in both memory and motor function and behavior. It was suspected by the research team that anthocyanins contributed to these remarkable findings. However, when they studied the brain tissues of the animals more closely, the scientist found that the beneficial effects of blueberries could not be explained solely on the basis of the antioxidant properties.

The team took the investigation another step in the brain-blueberry connection by feeding blueberries to a strain of mice that had Alzheimer-like symptoms. They found, once again, that blueberry-supplementation resulted in significantly better cognitive function and motor performance. But also they discovered that in the brains of the blueberry-eating “Alzheimer’s” mice, the levels of certain biochemical’s responsible for transmitting messages from neuron to neuron were closer to normal than in the untreated “Alzheimer’s” animals and that the message receptors on the nerve cells were better able to receive the signals.

Several studies done at Rutgers University suggest that antioxidants in blueberries, called proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins, can inhabit the adhesion of bacteria to the lining of the urinary tract. If the bacteria are prevented from attaching to bladder cells, they cannot multiply and cause infections. The unusual proanthocyanidins are similar to those found in cranberries, which are responsible for prevention of urinary tract infections. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm similar benefits in blueberries.

In other studies at the University of Mississippi and at Clemson University found that fresh blueberry juice strongly inhibited the growth of breast cancer and cervical cancer cells in vitro. The next step would be to identify what the anti-cancer properties are of the blueberry and how they work. The researchers found preliminary evidence that they may inhibit gene mutation in initial stages of cancer cell formation.

Lastly, a very interesting finding from my perspective, oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of ischemic stroke. Investigators at the University of Prince Edwards Island, Canada, found that after ischemic stroke (lack of blood supply to the brain tissue) was induced in experimental animals, the group fed a blueberry-supplemented diet for six weeks had significantly less brain damage than the controls.

For centuries, people have enjoyed the healthy benefits and good nutrition of blueberries. Now, thanks to whole food research such as this we are learning more about the potential disease-fighting benefits of this and other natural foods.

Any questions, comments or suggestions for topics please write to the author at the following e-mail address: bamashogun@aol.com, or www.alternative-medicine.com. You can find additional articles and information on the Web site of the Gulf Coast Newspapers at www.baldwincountynow.com.

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