Blueberries/Blueberry Extract

[Swarfmaker]

This article has some eye catching claims from studies with mice and
blueberry extract. Among all the claims, the performance of blueberry
extract fed mice with amyloid plaque along with blueberries' potential
for neurogenesis and diminishing inflammation are particularly
noteworthy. I remember reading years ago that Dr. J. Joseph was so
impressed with some findings with blueberries that he added them to
his diet daily.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug07/aging0807.htm

Milk Destroys Antioxidant Benefits in BlueberriesThat's the not so
good news from a study presented in this article if it makes it
inconvenient to prepare a serving/dose. It's been reported that milk/
protein will have harmful effects on green tea also. The better part
of the article tells of a study with rats looking at blueberries in
relation to inflammation and cognitive performance:
http://www.naturalnews.com/025516.html

…A study reported in the August, 2008 journal Nutrition and
Neuroscience looked at cognitive impairment in age-related
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's as being due to long-
term exposure and increased susceptibility to inflammatory insults.
They investigated whether polyphenols in blueberries could reduce the
deleterious effects of induced inflammation.

Rats were fed a diet that included a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug (NSAID), or a 2 percent blueberry diet. After two weeks and
behavioral evaluation, the rats were examined and total RNA from the
hippocampus was extracted to analyze the expression of inflammation-
related genes. The researchers found the blueberry diet was able to
improve cognitive performance to a much greater degree than was the
NSAID diet. Blueberry eaters showed a reduction in several factors
influencing the inflammatory response. They concluded that blueberry
polyphenols can lessen learning impairments resulting from neurotoxic
insult and exert anti-inflammatory actions, perhaps by alteration of
gene expression.

Other studies have found that diets rich in blueberries significantly
improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging animals,
making them mentally equivalent to animals much younger.

I'm certainly pleased to find out all of these good tasting things
like blueberries, cinnamon, coconut, and even tea are good for you. It
would be a bummer if it were things like cloves and radishes.

Another article from the USDA about blueberry extract:

Blueberry Extracts Boost Brain Function
By Rosalie Marion Bliss
August 8, 2007

A single dietary change has allowed laboratory animals with a genetic
tendency toward Alzheimer's disease to perform as well as healthy
peers in maze tests. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists
noted the diet-induced behavioral differences in the Alzheimer's-prone
animals after feeding them blueberry extracts from the equivalent of
their early adulthood to early middle age...
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/070808.htm


When they say, "Blueberry eaters showed a reduction in several factors
influencing the inflammatory response", I wonder what those "factors"
are? I'm going to have to look into it. What I'm wondering about is if
TNF-alpha is affected. This would then tie into chronic infection and
Enbrel.


Blueberry Juice Improves Memory in Older Adults
ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2010)
Scientists are reporting the first evidence from human research that
blueberries -- one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants
and other so-called phytochemicals -- improve memory. They said the
study establishes a basis for comprehensive human clinical trials to
determine whether blueberries really deserve their growing reputation
as a memory enhancer... In the study, one group of volunteers in their
70s with early memory decline drank the equivalent of 2-2 l/2 cups of
a commercially available blueberry juice every day for two months. A
control group drank a beverage without blueberry juice. The blueberry
juice group showed significant improvement on learning and memory
tests, the scientists say...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100120121552.htm