Health Benefits of Blueberries

Health Benefits Health Benefits of Blueberriesof Blueberries

IntroductionIntroduction The consumption of blueberries may have some

beneficial effects against chronic diseases including Alzheimer’s Disease Diabetes Cardiovascular Diseases Cancer

Health benefits are associated to its polyphenolic compounds

There are no current reports related to toxicity levels

IntroductionIntroduction Chemical composition may vary according to

season, environment, and variety Blueberries are rich in:

Anthocyanins Proanthocyanidins Flavan-3-ols Flavonols Phenolic acids Hidroxycinnamic acid

(Atalay and others 2003, Schmidt and others 2004, 2006,)

Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)(AD) 4.5 million Americans have AD. Ten percent of those older than

65, and 1 of 2 people at age 85 will be diagnosed with AD

Women have a greater incidence than men.

Alzheimer causes: Genetics (Chromosome 21) Head Trauma Viral agents Environmental factors

Organic solvents, aluminum, coffee, alcohol consumption, and medication use.

(McCollom 2004)

Alzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s Disease AD is a dementia disease, progressive and

degenerative causing the loss of intellectual functions:

Thinking Remembering Sequencing Reasoning Behavior

AD is characterized by the neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques (amyloid β peptide) (McCollom 2004, Ramassamy 2006).

Amyloid Amyloid ββ peptide peptide toxicitytoxicity

Toxicity Mechanisms

ApoptosisMitochondrial Dysfunction

Activation of the NF-κB

Neuronal Death

(Ramassamy 2006)

ConsequencesConsequences Toxicity of the amyloid β peptide involves transition

metals, formation of hydrogen peroxide, accumulation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress (Ramassamy 2006).

The brain is especially susceptible to oxidative stress since it weighs 2% of the body mass and it utilizes 20% of the total oxygen consumed by the body.

Normal brain aging is also associated with elevated

levels of neuroinflammation (activation of NF-κB) which increases ROS production (Lau and others 2005).

Food intake benefitsFood intake benefits Epidemiological evidence indicates that phytochemicas

may provide neuroprotection against age-related neurodegenerative disorders (Ramassamy 2006).

Polyphenols could have therapeutical potential for these pathologies.

Blueberries, have been found to be beneficial to brain function. Blueberries contain high levels of polyphenolic flavonoids (Dunlap and others 2005, Duffy and others 2007).

AD: Current ResearchAD: Current Research Lau and others (2005) Aged rats supplemented with blueberries extracts

showed: Reversed age-related deficits in neuronal and cognitive function

By increasing the levels of ERK and CKC which are important in mediating cognitive functions especially in conversion to short-term to long-term memory

Increase in hippocampal, plasticity and cognitive performance in mice via concerted mechanisms involving

Neurogenesis, neurotrophic factor IGF-1 and its receptor, and MAP kinase signal transduction cascades

Diabetes StatisticsDiabetes Statistics

20.8 million children and adults in the U.S, or 7% of the population have diabetes (ADA 2007)

180 million people worldwide (WHO 2007)

Diabetes mellitusDiabetes mellitus Chronic disease

Deficiency in production of insulin by the pancreas Ineffectiveness of the insulin produced

Increased concentrations of glucose in the blood damage many of the body's systems, in particular the

blood vessels and nerves (WHO 2007)

Type 1 diabetesType 1 diabetes

The pancreas fails to produce the insulin which is essential for survival

Most frequently Children and adolescents (WHO 2007)

Type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes

The body's inability to respond properly to the action of insulin produced by the pancreas.

More common (90% of cases worldwide) Adults It is being noted increasingly in adolescents (WHO 2007)

Importance of food Importance of food intakeintake

Because food intake affects the body's need for insulin and insulin's ability to lower blood sugar, diet is the basis of diabetes treatment (FDA 2007)

Studies in healthy subjects and those at risk for type 2 diabetes support the importance of including foods containing Carbohydrate particularly from:

Whole grains Fruits, vegetables Low-fat milk (ADA, 2002)

Diabetes and oxidative Diabetes and oxidative stressstress

Diabetes may be a state of increased oxidative stress There has been interest in prescribing antioxidant

vitamins to people with diabetes (ADA 2002)

Blueberry constituents are likely to act by mechanisms that: Counteract oxidative stress Decrease inflammation Modulate molecular interactions and expression of

genes associated with disease processes (Neto 2007)

Diabetes: Current Diabetes: Current ResearchResearch

Haddad 2001performed an ethnopharmacological survey of the most used antidiabetic medicinal in Québec and Morocco

Vaccinium spp. (blueberry) received first place Improves the microvascular and lipid perturbations

associated with diabetes


Shane (2001) investigated blueberry’s leaves Traditionally been used to control blood sugar levels in

people with diabetes Lowers blood sugar

Could make the effect of diabetes medication stronger


Cignarella and others (1996 ) studied the effect of an hydroalcoholic extract of blueberry leaves orally administered to diabetic rats.

Plasma glucose levels were consistently found to drop by about 26%

Diabetes: Current ResearchDiabetes: Current Research Eveleen (2006) tested blood glucose levels in diabetic

and non diabetic subjects 100 g of fresh berries for one month 14.54 and 9.9 % decrease in blood sugar levels in

diabetic and non diabetic subjects respectively.


Martineau and others (2006) tested ethanol extracts of root, stem, leaf and fruit using multiple cell-based bioassays Tested at 12.5 µg/ml Blueberries have insuline-like activity Exhibit anti-diabetic effects in pancreatic cells

Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)(CVD)

A general term for all diseases of the heart and blood vessels

Almost 1 million Americans die of CVD every year 40.6% of all deaths

CVD is nation’s No. 1 killer

CDC

2007

Chronic Endothelial Injury Chronic Endothelial Injury and the Progression of CVDand the Progression of CVD

AtherosclerosisAtherosclerosis Hardening, loss of elasticity,

and thickening of arterial walls with narrowing of the lumen of the artery.

Principal cause of myocardial infarction and stroke (heart and brain attack).

CVD: Current ResearchCVD: Current Research

Heinonen and others (1998) reported the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds present in berries by two coppercatalyzed in vitro oxidation assays: LDL

LDL oxidation was inhibited by 68.4 –89.0 % at 10 M and 20 M GAE respectively

Lecithin liposomes By 41.2 and 77.1 % measured by the formation of

hydroperoxides (ROOH) and hexanal respectively at concentration 20 M GAE

Prior and Cooke (2004) studied the inhibition of platelet aggregation An inhibition of 38% of platelet aggregation was

observed in individuals who consumed 1 cup of blueberries in their normal diet for 2 weeks


Norton and others (2005) studied how a blueberry enriched diet protected rat arteries from contracting Rats fed with an enriched diet generated less force in

response to phenylephrine, a stress hormone, than did arteries in rats fed the same diet without blueberries


Ahmet and others (2007) studied how a blueberry-enriched diet protects rat’s heart from Ischemic damage

The myocardial infarction (MI) in blueberry diet was 24% less than in control diet


Risk Factors You Can Risk Factors You Can Change, Treat or ModifyChange, Treat or Modify

High blood pressure

High blood cholesterol

Tobacco smoke

Overweight and obesity

Physical inactivity Diabetes (AHA 2007)

MakeMake Healthy Lifestyle Healthy Lifestyle ChangesChanges Control high blood pressure

Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quit.

Maintain healthy cholesterol levels

Be physically active

Control or delay the onset of diabetes

Reduce excess weight or maintain a healthy weight

Eat a healthful diet F&V.

CancerCancer StatisticsStatistics Cancer is the result of a combination of one or more

factors: Genetic mutation Environment Lifestyle Age Diet

Cancer StatisticsCancer Statistics According to the WHO, there are every year more

than 10 millions new cancer cases in the world (Surh

2003) and this number may be double in the next 20 years (Pecorino 2006).

In 2003, 1.3 millions new cases of cancer were diagnosed in USA and from those 550, 000 died from cancer (Surh 2003).

Cancer StatisticsCancer Statistics Cancer of the lung and the

large intestin (colon and rectum) are the most significant in both genders.

Specific cancers by gender: Women: Breast

Men: Prostate(Schulz 2005)

(Cancer Research Institute 2003)

Cancer StatisticsCancer Statistics Diet has been identified as responsible of influencing

the cancer risk.

Researchers have estimated that about 30 - 40% of all cancer cases are related to dietary habits.

(Davis and Milner 2007; Surh 2003)

CancerCancer

“Group of diseases (>200) characterized by unregulated cell growth and the invasion and spread of cells from the site of origin to other site in the body.”

CancerCancer Carcinogenesis:

“Process that involves several steps in which distinct molecular and cellular alteration occurs”

Three steps: Initiation Promotion Progression

(D'Ambrosio 2007; Surh 2003)

CancerCancer and and PhytochemicalsPhytochemicals

Prevention of initiation process by blueberry phytochemicals may involve:

Inactivation of carcinogens Inhibition of phase I enzymes Induction of phase II enzymes

Blueberry phytochemicals may also inhibit promotion or progression by eliminating cancer cells or inhibiting their growth.

Cancer: Current Cancer: Current ResearchResearch

Kraft and others (2005) worked with blueberry extracts to study the chemoprevention effect.

Chemical composition may protect against the initiation, promotion and progression of carcinogenesis.

Chemical compounds found were phytosterols, phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and oligomeric proanthocyanidins; that may interact synergistically, concomitantly, or additively to enhance its bioactivity.

Cancer: Current StudiesCancer: Current Studies Schmidt and others (2004) worked with fractions rich in

proanthocyanidins demonstrated a significance positive correlation between proanthocyanidins content and antiproliferation assays.

Schmidt and others (2006) studied wild and cultivated blueberry to see bioactivity against the proliferation prostate cancer cell lines.

Blueberry (wild and cultivated) fractions rich in proanthocyanidins have an effect on androgen dependant growth of cancer cell line.

Srivastava and others (2007) identified the presence of delphinidin, cyanidin, peonidin, petunidin and malvidin as the major anthocyanins in blueberry extracts.

Anthocyanins rich fraction might increase apoptosis as well as the activity of detoxifying enzymes quinone reductase and glutathione S-Trasnferesase.


Smith and others (2000), studied the bioactive activity of several fractions of blueberry extracts.

Crude extract made of 70% acetone (proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins), showed induction of quinone reductase activity, which indicates a potential for inhibiting the initiation stage of carcinogenesis.


Yi and others (2005) studied the bioactivity of phenolic compounds in several fractions obtained from rabbiteye blueberry to assess the potential as an antiproliferative and apoptosis induction on colon cancer cells.

Phenolic compounds could inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis.

From the four fractions obtained (phenolic acids, tannins, flavonols and anthocyanins), the anthocyanins fraction showed the highest antiproliferation and induction of apoptosis.


Health Benefits of Blueberries

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