blueberry research Archives - Wild Blueberries

New Research Study Indicates Wild Blueberries Improve Brain’s Processing Speed

In a recently published study where volunteer participants with cognitive issues consumed wild blueberries daily for six months, it was found that the speed at which the participants could process information increased. Cognitive processing speed is defined as the speed at which our brains process information and use it to help us operate effectively in the world – a basic cognitive ability that is known to decrease with advancing age. The findings from this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial were just published in Nutritional Neuroscience, an International Journal on Nutrition, Diet, and Nervous System. (1)

NEW Research on Wild Blueberries & Cognitive Function

There has been great scientific interest in the possible link between blueberries and cognition since 1999, when initial studies were first published. Collective evidence over the 20+ years that scientists have been examining various facets of the blueberry-brain relationship suggests that the tiny blue fruit does have brain-healthy characteristics, and that eating blueberries daily may be a practical and effective way to help maintain cognitive health.

This most recent study, conducted by Carol L. Cheatham, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and her team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), focused on the impact of daily wild blueberry consumption over a period of 6 months—the longest and largest cognitive intervention study on wild blueberries to date. Dr. Cheatham and her team carefully screened older adults (age 65-80yr) according to presence and degree of cognitive impairment, as well as things like age and gender. A reference group of 43 individuals had no cognitive impairment, and 86 individuals who were experiencing cognitive decline were divided into either the wild blueberry powder group or the placebo powder group. Participants were instructed to consume the powder daily and monitored monthly. At the end of the 6 months, multiple cognitive tests were given to the participants, including ERP testing, which involves placing electrodes on the scalp to reveal electrical signals from the brain during cognitive tasks.

The Results:

Analysis of the large amount of data Dr. Cheatham obtained during the study revealed that processing speed did improve in those participants who received the wild blueberry treatment, and that the greatest effect was in those aged 70-74. This finding suggests that not only do there appear to be cognitive effects from consuming the berries themselves, but that their consumption over time may also be an important factor.

Dr. Cheatham, who consumes wild blueberries daily for her own brain health, had this to say about the results: “Eating wild blueberries to prevent cognitive decline seems preferable to waiting until after the brain starts to suffer from aging. Now that we know daily consumption of wild blueberries can help with cognitive decline, we are keen to study whether consumption can also prevent decline if started when the brain is still young and healthy. I know I wish I would have started earlier. Eat wild early and often!”

Brain-boosting Benefits For All Ages

The foods we choose to eat can impact our cognitive health and brain function. Although the results in this study were most pronounced in the 70-74 years old age group, previous research indicates that there are cognitive benefits from wild blueberry consumption for people in other age groups as well, such as children as young as 7-10 years old. A 9% increase in reaction speed was observed in these children following the consumption of a wild blueberry drink compared to those consuming a placebo drink—with no trade-off in answer accuracy. The authors of that study said these results indicated an improvement in information processing speed. (2) While the study with children was an acute (short-term) intervention, the results reinforce the connection between wild blueberries and cognitive processing speed.

This new paper by Dr. Cheatham and her team adds to the growing list of publications documenting clinical benefits of flavonoid-rich wild blueberries on selected aspects of cognition. For information about other studies on wild blueberries and cognitive health, check out the Brain Health section of the website. For more on the new study, see the press release.

Sources:

(1) Carol L. Cheatham, L. Grant Canipe III, Grace Millsap, Julie M. Stegall, Sheau Ching Chai, Kelly W. Sheppard & Mary Ann Lila (2022) Six-month intervention with wild blueberries improved speed of processing in mild cognitive decline: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.Nutritional Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2022.2117475
(2) Whyte, A. R., Schafer, G., & Williams, C. M. (2017). The effect of cognitive demand on performance of an executive function task following wild blueberry supplementation in 7 to 10 year old children. Food & Function, 8(11), 4129–4138. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7fo00832e

Purple Potatoes, “The Newsroom” & Plenty of Wild, Healthy Blues: Our Top Ten Posts of 2012

What posts had the biggest impact on our readers this year? The top ten posts of 2012 included everything from purple potatoes to HBO’s “The Newsroom”. We’re pleased to have been a part of sharing health and nutrition research, news, information, fun stories and recipes with you during the past twelve months. We’re looking forward to much more to come in 2013. Here’s to a healthy, wild, well new year!

1. Dig In: Purple Potatoes Have Vibrant Health Benefits
Health benefits from a colorful vegetable caught our readers’ attention this year – so much so, it was the top viewed post of 2012. Hat’s off to the unique power of purple!

2. Five Very Unexpected Benefits of Eating Fruits & Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are healthy, sure – but they also help with depression, provide benefits for smokers who want to quit, and improve your love life.

3. Wild Blueberry Favorites – Your Top 5 Recipes
What are wild blues best at? Here’s the definitive list straight from those who know – our readers!

4. Pterostilbene: Big Promise for an Amazing Antioxidant
As research into the benefits of blueberries continues, one compound is showing a unique anti-cancer potential.

5. Fresh Maine Blueberries: A Summer Tradition
Those berries on your plate are more than just delicious – they are also a wild summer tradition.

6. Wild Blueberry Research You Should Know About
This new research into cancer, bowel health, heart health and weight made waves this year.

7. LATEST NEWS: Victory for the Frozen Message
When Dr. Oz spoke out about frozen, the message spanned the globe – and the cover of TIME.

8. Blueberries May Preserve Brain Health: How A New Study Affects You
You wanted to know more about good news for an important part of preserving the brain as we age.

9. Want a Little Belly? Try a Little Blueberry
Resolving to battle belly bulge? Arm yourself with phyto-rich foods.

10. Diabetes, Wild & “The Newsroom”
Your love for all three inched this post into the top 10 this year, and helped get this diabetes story the press it deserves.

Enjoying these top posts from 2012? Subscribe to have weekly headlines from Wild About Health sent right to your inbox all year long, or send us a story you’d like to see on Wild About Health on 2013!

Is Happiness As Close As Our Plate?

The Role of Fruits & Vegetables in Mental Health Research Intensifies

Crossing the border into the state of bliss can be as elusive as it is subjective. We might find joy in a chocolate cake today and in a visit with an old friend tomorrow. But regardless of the source of our smiles, most of us can agree that happiness is the result of positive feelings – joy, pleasure, satisfaction – and the absence of negative ones – like stress and depression – and it’s something all of us want more of. But in our endless pursuit of positive feelings, we might be overlooking a source of good cheer that’s right in front of us: our daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

Happiness and health have always partnered well. Being and feeling healthy is the essence of well being. So when a recent study indicated that happiness can result from eating 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, there was no reason to be taken by surprise.

Or was there? Is the idea that happiness is within our reach (and on our plates) groundbreaking? Or just old news?

The Research

The happiness study in question hinges on research conducted in Britain and slated for publication in Social Indicators Research. As part of the study, men and women ate from 0-8 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables and reported on things like life satisfaction and feeling “low” as measures of their well being. The researchers found that the participants’ happiness improved the more fruits and veggies they ate, reaching their peak at 7 or 8 servings.

The effect of fruits and vegetables on mood was measurable and significant. And researchers involved in the study suggest a biochemical effect, not a psychological one. We already know that proper nutrition is important in preventing disease and slowing the aging process – but the case for nutritionally-dense food influencing our emotional state is compelling.

Unpacking the Food-Mood Relationship

There is a dearth of research into the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on emotional health. We know a great deal, however, about the relationship between nutritionally dense foods and the brain, a likely locus of happiness. For example:

Cups of fruit such as antioxidant-rich berries are known to help keep the mind clear and focused – this may contribute to happiness, or allow us to handle daily stressors better, which increases our happiness quotient.
Food can affect blood glucose levels, or trigger food sensitivities which can affect the way we feel, causing feelings of lethargy and illness.
Food could affect brain chemistry, too. Some researchers have found that increased levels of depression, anxiety, mood swings, hyperactivity and a wide variety of other mental and emotional problems can be tied to nutrition. (The first trial testing whether a healthy diet can improve the mental health of people with depression is planned by researchers is already in the works).
Researchers continue to demonstrate protective effects of phytochemicals (found in high concentrations in wild blueberries) on the brain, and the body of research in the field of neuroscience supporting the benefits foods high in phytos is growing. Recent studies led by Dr. Robert Krikorian at University of Cincinnati, for example, suggest that regular consumption of wild blueberries may slow the loss of cognitive function and decrease depression in the elderly.

While these things contribute to our understanding of the connection between fruits and vegetable and happiness, researchers have yet to fully understand the reason for the results revealed in the Britain study. Until we know more about the impact of fruits and veggies on mood, pleasure, and mental illness, we might be best served to conduct a little research on ourselves.

Forging a Path to Happiness

What is your diet doing (or not doing) for your happiness quotient? It might be time to take a closer look.

Starting a food diary is the best way to research your own food-mood connection. Writing down what you eat will increase your awareness of your food intake and help you discern patterns between diet and things like energy levels, mood and feelings of well being. USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend “filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal” with the goal of 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables, on average, for a total of 5 cups every day. By tracking what you eat every day, you’ll see if you fall short of the USDA recommendations and by how much.

Once you’ve tracked your diet for a week or so, make a change. Start by getting two cups of fruit a day, for example, or eliminate processed foods in favor of a fruit or vegetable. Evaluate the impact of this change on your mood, your sleep, and your stress level. While the kick of endorphins after eating something sugary, salty, or fatty is obvious, we can sometimes miss its cost to our general feelings of happiness and well being.

Get Happy – 5 Ways to Get Your 5

Start small. Starting at zero? Ease in with ½ cup of fruit, berries, or greens twice a week. Then, move to ½ cup every day. Baby steps make it easier to attain the recommended goal of 2 cups of fruit per day and 5 total cups of fruits and vegetables over the long term.

Sneak ’em. If you prefer to sneak fruits and veggies into your diet, kale chips and cauliflower popcorn were invented just for you. While whole fresh or fresh frozen foods are best, moving away from processed snacks in favor of homemade ones is a great way to start the process. Or, give a green smoothie a go for a mega-dose of fruits and vegetables masked as deliciousness.

Replace something. Having chips with lunch? Slice some carrots instead. Late-night ice cream a routine? Swap it for a ½ cup of fresh berries.

Choose what you like. Keen on tomatoes? Kiwis your weakness? Eating plenty of what you really like makes racking up the cups easy.

Bathe your meal in berries. Steven Pratt, author of the groundbreaking book on nutrition, SuperfoodsRx, suggests we “bathe our meals in berries” for optimal nutritional benefit and disease prevention. Berries such as wild blueberries have a high concentration of beneficial phytochemicals, making them more powerful than most other fruits when it comes to disease prevention. Douse a piece of fish with wild blueberry sauce, pair salads with berries, or cover desserts and breakfasts with them – using fresh frozen wild blueberries from the freezer (look for them in the frozen food section) is a convenient way to make them available by the cup at every meal.

A Month of Mood Boosters: Check out our month of ideas for incorporating fruits and vegetables into your meals – one for every day – or get started on your own list. Then, give us a comment that includes your favorite way of getting 5 cups a day. We might include it in an updated Month of Fruits and Veggies post!

Photo courtesy of by estoril.

Brain Function Key Topic at ME Research Summit

It’s been called the “brain berry” and the influence it wields on the health of our brains has been dubbed the “blueberry-brain connection.” While this may sound like something from a distant future, it’s not science fiction. There is, however, plenty of science involved. It has to do with the mounting evidence that blueberries, particularly wild blueberries, can protect our brain as we age.

We know cognitive decline is a normal function of aging – and today, 5.4 million Americans are living with severe cognitive impairment in the form of Alzheimer’s disease. The spotlight on brain research is bright, and the work of nutritionists and scientists engaged in research and clinical trials is no small matter: preserving and protecting the brain is central to our well being. While today’s generation, if they are lucky, will boast longevity, it means little if our cognitive skills are compromised and our living experience is colored by poor memory, poor motor skills, and dementia.

The Bar Harbor Group has been a force behind moving research forward when it comes to the impact of a berry-rich diet on disease prevention. This past August, the 15th Annual Wild Blueberry Health Research Summit in Bar Harbor, Maine brought the group together again. Eighteen leading researchers from the US, Canada and England convened to share and discuss current and ongoing blueberry and human health research, and the result was a boon for brain health. Some of the most exciting topics focused on brain health and the promising blueberry-brain connection.

Good Thinking in Bar Harbor

The work of today’s researchers into cognitive health and diet is notable for the participants involved in its studies. First, this year’s Summit members presented ongoing research into the effect of cognitive health and blueberry supplemented diets both in the elderly and in young, healthy subjects. What’s more, while preliminary studies often involve lab animals, many of this year’s studies were clinical trials involving human subjects and real-world human diets. Studies yielding positive results on humans were part of what made 2012 an exciting year for the “brain berry.”

Much of the interest surrounding blueberries is due to their high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanin, found in the deep blue pigments of wild blueberries, is a phytonutrient with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When we caught up with Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University last year, she told us that “berry fruits change the way neurons in the brain communicate.” She explained that they prevent inflammation in the brain, the key to preventing neuron damage that specifically affects cognitive function. This August in Bar Harbor, Shukitt-Hale discussed a new clinical trial, using middle-aged and older subjects, which involves the effects of a diet supplemented with blueberries on memory and motor function.

Another presentation by Dr. Robert Krikorian of the University of Cincinnati’s Cognitive Aging Program included work on blueberry supplementation and its effect on memory, metabolic function, inflammation and brain function in elderly subjects. Krikorian has previously conducted a fascinating study into diets supplemented with wild blueberry juice. (Hear more about his work with these health heroes.) In this previous work, he found that a diet supplemented with up to 21 ounces of blueberry juice per day improved memory over just a 12 week period. His most recent work takes us further toward understanding blueberry supplementation.

Also presenting at the Summit was Dr. Mary Ann Lila, Director of Plants for Human Health Institute at North Carolina State University. When Wild About Health spoke with Lila in 2010, blueberries were at the heart of exciting new research at the Institute, where she cited the blueberry as a “cohesive force” in uniting teams involved in areas as unrelated as genomics and fruit quality. This year, she shared ongoing research about wild blueberry consumption on cognition by measuring results specifically on adults experiencing cognitive decline.

Other brain-related research at the Summit included England’s University of Reading study into blueberry supplementation and cognitive function in young healthy subjects, and another on the impact of blueberries in children.

Feed Your Head

In 2012, already more than 100 new studies in a wide range of areas have been published on the blueberry’s potential benefits to human health. We have researchers like the members of the Bar Harbor Group to thank for helping piece together the mysteries of this small, nutrient-dense fruit and its effect on brain performance. The more we know about the advantages of the wild blueberry, the more it should have us thinking – about how to make them a part of our own long, healthy life.

Learn More: In addition to cognitive research, Summit member reports include work on diabetes, heart disease, and eye health. Read more about research presented at the Bar Harbor Summit.

You can also find out about a brain health study called the “Nurses Study” and why it could be important for you.

Brain Palace: TEDMED Shares 2012 Video

The 2012 TEDMED Conference, modeled after the famed TED talks, gathered thinkers and doers from around the world this past April to share exciting ideas and innovations in the fields of health and medicine.

Some videos from the conference, which was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and streamed live to audiences nationwide, have been made available to the public so an even wider population of people can take part in the presentations that addressed issues affecting all Americans, including innovations in disease prevention and cure, health care considerations and management, and pioneering ideas in diagnostics, genetics, medications and social issues.

If you are a health and medicine geek, you’ll want to browse the topics of these dynamic talks. Here are just some of the videos now online with ties to some of Wild About Health’s most talked about topics:

Judith Salerno & John Hoffman talk about the consequences of the obesity epidemic.
David Kirchhoff, the CEO of Weight Watchers talks about living and coping with today’s new “obsogenic” environment and why obesity isn’t about eating too much.
Bud Frazier & Billy Cohn discuss the continual flow heart pump.
Franziska Michor investigates how to use math to decipher how cancer grows and how we can computationally crack the cancer code.

And there’s plenty more from this year and past years, including videos with Lance Armstrong, Dr. Oz and others. (Check out Calvin Harley and Elissa Epel’s 2011 presentation on how psychological stress causes our cells to age.)

See all TEDMED videos from 2012 and beyond.

Love all things health and science? Wildbluberries.com’s new web site has wealth of information to explore, including information about antioxidants, the latest research into the benefits of wild blueberries, and how to better understand the Glycemic Index.

Cancer Study Follow-Up: Report Brings Key Nutritional Messages to Light

Food as Medicine & Colorful Diet at the Heart of New Study, Says Nutrition Expert Susan Davis

This week, Wild About Health shared a new study from researchers at the City of Hope in Los Angeles that showed the positive effect of blueberries on triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer that typically responds poorly to treatment. (Read our post, Exciting Study Ties Blueberries to Breast Cancer Prevention, where you’ll also be able to view the video and hear from the researchers firsthand.) Today, we’re following up on this compelling study with Nutrition Advisor Susan Davis, MS, RD, who provides insight into its promising results and helps us parse its nutritional message.

The investigation into the health benefits of blueberries was familiar to researchers Shiuan Chen, Ph.D and Lynn Adams, Ph.D. A 2010 study into the cancer-fighting properties of the fruit prompted them to refer to blueberries as one of the most potent and popular disease fighters available. Previous research has focused on the powerful phytochemicals in blueberries that counter the damage of free radicals, and this latest study took the inquiry one step further. “Our results demonstrate that blueberry consumption can greatly reduce the growth and spread of an aggressive form of breast cancer,” said Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology at City of Hope and senior author on the paper that will appear in the October issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

Such promise for a particularly deadly form of a challenging disease generated excitement for those interested in the topic of breast cancer as well as those in the fields of health and nutrition. While the study’s focus was on blueberries – already known for their disease-fighting properties – the true message of the study, said Nutrition Advisor to the Wild Blueberry Association Susan Davis, MS, RD, is not necessarily to urge people to eat more blueberries, but to help advance a vital health message that still needs spreading.

Wild About Health was fortunate to have Davis weigh in on the study. Davis is a member of the Bar Harbor Group, a collective of U.S. and Canadian researchers who are active in the fields of neuroscience, aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer, eye health and other health-related areas who regularly share their research findings and explore opportunities in blueberry and berry nutritional health and research. The group met this past August to share new research into the connection between blueberries and Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and diabetes.

Davis said the City of Hope study was significant both in the dramatic performance of blueberries and because of their effect on many markers for breast cancer. Not only did tumor size decrease by 75%, but metastases, or the spread of cancer, was also decreased. In addition, mechanisms were identified to explain how blueberries could have these effects, an important step forward in understanding the connection between health and these superfood components.

The study’s applicability to all diets also reinforced an important message of food as medicine, Davis said. “The fact that the amount of fruit consumed is achievable in ordinary diets shows the power of foods in helping prevent disease,” she told Wild About Health. Researchers like Chen and Adams and those who are part of the Bar Harbor Group continue to make strides toward isolating components in food that could help prevent cancers and diseases of aging, providing more scientific evidence that we should view food as “treatment” for disease as well as use it defensively as a preventative for disease and the effects of aging.

According to Davis, studies like this one solidify this message for the public and help contribute to a cultural understanding that can save our lives and contribute to our longevity: that what we eat makes a significant difference in how we look, how we feel, and how healthy we are. She said that it’s a message that has not been fully adopted in this country. “Many other cultures look to foods and herbs to treat illnesses and honor their bodies,” she said. “In the U.S. we are slow to get the message.” While many of us are taking nutritional measures to preserve our health, others continue to miss the clear connection that exists between food and our wellness.

Davis said another important aspect of this study’s subsequent report and analysis is the message reiterated by its researchers concerning the effects of food synergy. Because fruits and vegetables contain very different compounds that complement each other, it’s important to understand that one will not provide all the health benefits we need. Instead, these components work together, in ways we don’t yet understand, to augment their singular effects. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, variety truly is the key to healthy eating, and that’s another message worth hearing again and again.

“Berries are powerful sources of protective compounds and the blues are one of the best. A good way to judge how healthy your diet is, is by color,” said Davis. “Get the colors on your plate at every meal, and make one of them blue.”

Have you made one of the colors on your plate blue today? Find out more about why you should get your daily dose of blue.

New Video! Exciting Study Ties Blueberries to Breast Cancer Prevention

There is no more exciting time in the world of blueberry research. The nutritional potential of blueberries, particularly wild blueberries, is high and building as we find out more and more about the natural disease preventing chemicals sheathed by that dark blue skin.

Now, a new study conducted by researchers at the City of Hope in Los Angeles provides an encouraging connection between the nutritional benefits of this powerhouse fruit to breast cancer prevention, isolating a specific link to a very aggressive form of the disease.

Watch Blueberries: A Triple Threat Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancers from the City of Hope and hear firsthand what the researchers have to say about this important study.

The study builds upon an infrastructure of previous research into the effect of phytochemicals, naturally occurring substances that are highly concentrated in blueberries and are present in other fruits and vegetables. Phytochemicals neutralize free radicals and help prevent cell damage, which prevents diseases of aging and types of cancer.

This promising study reports on the effect of blueberries on a type of breast cancer referred to as triple-negative. Triple-negative breast cancer is difficult to treat and has a high mortality rate compared to other types of breast cancers.

The study was conducted by researchers Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., and Lynn Adams, Ph.D and will be published in the October 2011 issue of The Journal Of Nutrition. In terms of the connection between triple-negative breast cancer and the effect of blueberries, the report includes the following outcomes:

inhibited proliferation of triple negative cells
increased death rate of bad cells
inhibited metastatic potential, or migration of cells
inhibited tumor growth

The details of the results of the study can be found at The Lempert Report.

We know that blueberries contain phytochemicals, and according to co-researcher Dr. Shiuan Chen, we already have the evidence that blueberries can help to suppress the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. Still outstanding is actually defining what the active chemicals are that act on these cancer cells. But the results of this initial study remain very exciting. Because the study was conducted with blueberry powder fed to mice, it must, of course, be replicated in humans, but one encouraging factor was the achievable amount of blueberry intake involved. It is common to hear of studies involving amounts of food that would be impossible to consume. Here, the dose required to achieve results was equivalent to two cups of fresh blueberries per day, something reasonable for consumption by humans.

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women during their lives. Anticipating more definitive research into this important cancer, particularly into this very aggressive form, is very exciting. There are few effective drugs for triple-negative breast cancer, and lowering mortality rates would have an enormous impact on the population with the disease and for those who are at risk. But there’s no need to wait to start a disease-fighting regimen: there is overwhelming agreement in the scientific community that efforts to lower the risk of breast cancer involve eating blueberries and a variety of fruits and vegetables, according to co-researcher Dr. Lynn Adams. To get variety in your diet, use the rainbow as your guide. The different colors of fruits and vegetables provide diverse forms of phytochemicals, which appear to act in synergy with one another to prevent disease. Blueberries, specifically wild blueberries, which have a higher ORAC score than cultivated blueberries, are the best way to integrate the blue-purple color of the spectrum.

The fact that foods which could provide anti-cancer benefits are readily available is a valuable message for consumers. We are lucky that this convenient, delicious fruit is available frozen in grocery stores all year, providing all the nutrition of fresh. Start getting your two cups per day. You’ll be doing something good for your body and making strides toward disease prevention.

A lot is happening in the world of nutrition research! Find out more about the exciting new research into the health advantages of wild blueberries, and read the latest news about how blueberries can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.