Dr. John's Health Matters
Welcome to Dr. John's Health Matters blog.
The articles posted here are from various sources who are duly acknowledged. I would appreciate being immediately notified, if any copywritten material needs to be removed. This blog is not intended to replace the qualified advice of a licensed health practitioner. Readers should exercise their own judgment. Enjoy, subscribe, participate and tell others :)
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Posts tagged "blueberry"
Wednesday, Sep 2nd, 2009 ↓Blueberry juice displays weight management benefits: Mouse study →
Sept 2, 2009 (Foodnavigator.com)—Drinking a modified blueberry juice may reduce food intake and body weight, and offer weight management potential, suggest findings from a new study with mice.
Canadian researchers report that mice prone to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and hypertension drinking the blueberry juice were protected against the development of glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus.
The blueberry juice used in the study was not standard juice but had undergone a transformation using the Serratia vaccinii bacterium.
“Results of this study clearly show that biotransformed blueberry juice has strong anti-obesity and anti-diabetic potential,” said lead researcher Pierre Haddad, from the Université de Montréal.
“Biotransformed blueberry juice may represent a novel therapeutic agent, since it decreases hyperglycemia in diabetic mice and can protect young pre-diabetic mice from developing obesity and diabetes.”
Blueberries, nature’s only ‘blue’ food, are a rich source of polyphenols, potent antioxidants that include phenolics acids, tannins, flavonols and anthocyanins.
For full article, see link above.
Tags: blueberry juice antioxidant weightloss weight management obesity carotenoid insulin diabetes hypertension serratia vaccinii bacterium cholesterol cancer alzheimer prevention
Hepatitis Healing Power Of Blueberry Leaves →
Aug 7, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—A chemical found in blueberry leaves has shown a strong effect in blocking the replication of the Hepatitis C virus, opening up a new avenue for treating chronic HCV infections, which affect 200 million people worldwide and can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Among the areas of especially high Hepatitis C incidence is the Miyazaki prefecture of southern Japan, a trend that led Hiroaki Kataoka and colleagues at the University of Miyazaki and elsewhere in Japan on a search for better treatment options. Currently, there is no vaccine for HCV, and though a combination drug regimen can clear HCV infection, this treatment is only about 60% effective on average and poses risks of severe side effects.
Kataoka and colleagues believed that since HCV is localized in the liver and can take 20 years or more to develop into disease, a dietary supplement might help slow or stop disease progression. So they screened nearly 300 different agricultural products for potential compounds that suppress HCV replication and uncovered a strong candidate in the leaves of rabbit-eye blueberry (native to the southeastern US).
They purified the compound and identified it as proanthocyandin (a polyphenol similar to the beneficial chemicals found in grapes and wine). While proanthocyandin can be harmful, Kataoka and colleagues noted its effective concentration against HCV was 100 times less than the toxic threshold, and similar chemicals are found in many edible plants, suggesting it should be safe as a dietary supplement. In the meantime, the researchers now hope to explore the detailed mechanisms of how this chemical stops HCV replication.
Journal reference:
- Masahiko Takeshita, Yo-ichi Ishida, Ena Akamatsu, Yusuke Ohmori, Masayuki Sudoh, Hirofumi Uto, Hirohito Tsubouchi, and Hiroaki Kataoka. Proanthocyanidin from Blueberry Leaves Suppresses Expression of Subgenomic Hepatitis C Virus RNA. J. Biol. Chem., 2009; 284: 21165-21176 [link]
Tags: blueberry leaves leaf blocking hepatitis C virus infection liver cancer cirrhosis prevention supplement diet progression proanthocyandin polyphenol
Milk Destroys Antioxidant Benefits in Blueberries →
Feb 03 09 (NaturalNews) Not much is better than a bowl of fresh blueberries. Bursting with flavor and sweetness, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants, these tiny fruits are anti-aging superstars. There is however one word of caution. Blueberries lose their power when eaten with milk.
Blueberries have a high affinity for milk protein
A new study reported in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine investigated whether antioxidant properties of blueberries were reduced because of their affinity for protein. They assessed the bioavailability of phenolics after consumption of blueberries with and without milk. Phenolics are the active compounds in plants that give blueberries their antioxidant potential.
For full article, see link above.
Blueberries Lower High Cholesterol and Boost Cardiovascular Health →
Mar 17 09 (NaturalNews) How good are blueberries at lowering high cholesterol and protecting cardiovascular health? This article compiles a collection of quotes and statements about blueberries from doctors, authors and health experts.
Learn about anthocyanosides and the natural medicine found in blueberries and other types of berries. You’ll learn how these berries not only protect your cardiovascular health, but they also boost brain health and protect your entire nervous system.
Berries are truly medicine from Mother Nature, and they support human health in so many ways that if berries were drugs, they would be called “miracle drugs.”
For full article, see link above.
Blueberries Reverse Memory Loss, Prevent Alzheimer's →
Dec 03 08 (natural news) — If you’re looking for yet another reason to eat blueberries, scientists at the University of Reading have just found one for you: Blueberry flavonoids have now been found to activate the parts of the human brain that control memory and learning.
The research was published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. It has opened new avenues of research into the ability of blueberries to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
For full article, see link above.
Blueberries May Shrink Tumors in Babies →
January 21, 2009 (medical news) — Substances found in blueberries may inhibit the growth of blood vessel tumors in infants and children, a new study suggests.
Ohio State University researchers say they found that feeding a blueberry extract to mice with blood vessel tumors safely decreased the size of the tumors and improved survival.
The tumors in question are among the most common tumors in infants, according to the report in the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. In infants, the tumors can be disfiguring and in some cases threaten the health of a child.
For full medical article, see link above.
