About Blueberries

Compounds in blueberries known as flavonoids, especially the anthocyanins, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, giving them great potential to fight aging, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic ailments.

Blueberries appear to protect cells from a wide range of injuries by exerting potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to directly change oxidative and inflammatory stress-signaling pathways.

In animal studies, a blueberry-enriched diet has been shown to protect against loss of brain cells seen with different types of brain injury and aging, as well as against associated impairments in memory, learning and coordination.

Blueberry supplementation is also associated with growth of new nerve cells and with better communication between existing nerve cells through the process known as signal transduction.

Anthocyanins in blueberries enter the brains of supplemented animals, where they lodge in the striatum, a specific area controlling certain types of memory and motor function. The striatum is also predominantly involved in Parkinson's disease.

Population studies in humans suggest that diets high in fruit and vegetables-particularly those of dark color, such as blueberries-may protect against oxidative stress, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic conditions.