BLUEBERRIES NAMED MIRACLE BERRY
Prevention Magazine Goes Wild Over Blueberries And Their Anti-Aging
Potential
BAR HARBOR, Maine (June 25, 1999) - - In the June 1999 issue of Prevention
magazine, blueberries take center stage as the “Miracle Berry.” Blueberries
have risen to stardom because of recent research findings pointing to
possible health and nutrition benefits. Ranked #1 among fruits and
vegetables in antioxidant power, researchers are taking a closer look at
blueberries for their remarkable anti-aging potential.
“If you add one food to your diet this year, make it blueberries,” says
Prevention’s Nutrition Editor Holly McCord, RD, author of “The Miracle
Berry.” According to McCord, blueberries are the “....single most ferocious
food in the supermarket at halting the forces that age you.”
Prevention’s focus on blueberries is well timed, according to John Sauve’,
Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America
(WBANA). “Consumer interest in eating foods that help prevent disease is at
an all-time high. Blueberries are now in the spotlight as a ‘good for you
food,” says Sauve’. “For great taste and antioxidant power, there’s no
better choice than a daily dose of Nature’s best blueberries: the Wild
Ones.”
Anti-Aging Properties Explored
Dr. James Joseph, Chief of the neuroscience laboratory at the Jean Mayer
USDA Human Nutirition Center on Aging at Tufts University, I working with
blueberries to examine their effect on memory and motor skills. Preliminary
research suggests that blueberries protect against the effects of
age-related deterioration of the brain, such as short-term memory loss.
“The blueberry has emerged as a very powerful food in the aging battle,”
said Joseph. “Given the possibility that blueberries may reverse short-term
memory loss and forestall other effects of aging, their potential may be
very great.”
In the Tufts trials, Dr. Joseph and his colleagues fed aged rats a blueberry
extract for two months and saw improved navigation skills in mazes as well
as improvements in balance, coordination and running speed. According to
Joseph, as rats age, they typically forget how to maneuver through mazes
that they previously had learned to navigate. Ongoing research will focus
on identifying the specific compounds responsible for blueberries’
beneficial effects.
Nature’s Antioxidant Powerhouse
Studies conducted by Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., at the Jean Mayer USDA Human
Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts University, ranked blueberries number
one in antioxidant activity when compared with 40 other community available
fruits and vegetables. (Source: Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry,
44:701-705; 3426-3343, 1996; 46-2686-2693, 1998)
Antioxidants are natural substances found in fruits and vegetables which
neutralize free radicals - - unstable oxygen molecules associated with
cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging.
Scientists attribute these benefits to anthocyanins and other natural
compounds (phytochemicals) found in Wild Blueberries. Anthocyanins (from
two Greek words meaning “plant” and “blue”) are responsible for the intense
blue and red pigments of fruits like Wild Blueberries.
“One-half cup of blueberries delivers as much antioxidant power as 5
servings of other fruits and vegetables - - such as peas, carrots, apples,
squash and broccoli,” says Dr. Prior. “While variety is still the key to a
healthy diet, I’m eating blueberries regularly.”
5-A-Day to Fight Disease
To help consumers prevent cancer and other diseases associated with aging,
the national 5-A-Day program recommends eating a minimum of five servings of
fruits and vegetables every day. According to WBANA’s Executive Director,
John Sauve’, one half cup of Wild Blueberries equals one serving under the
5-A-Day guidelines. “Eating Wild Blueberries is an easy and tasty way to
meet the 5-A-Day goal for healthy eating,” says Sauve’. “For great taste
and convenience, we encourage consumers to choose Wild Blueberries to get
their Daily Dose of Blue.”
Nature’s Tastiest Frozen Berry
Wild Blueberries, which are commercially harvested only in Maine and eastern
Canada, are available year-round. “With excitement building around the
blueberry health story, consumer interest in Wild Blueberries is growing as
well,” says Sauve’. “As a result, the industry is working hard to expand
its distribution of frozen berries to supermarkets nationwide.”
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, frozen fruits equal, or,
in some cases, surpass fresh fruit from a health and nutrition standpoint.
“We anticipate the frozen food business to represent a growth opportunity
for the industry,” says Sauve’. “We’ll continue to educate consumers to the
disease-fighting potential of blueberries, and encouraging them to head to
the freezer case for their Daily Dose of Blue.”
WBANA is an international trade association of growers and processors of
Wild Blueberries from Maine and Canada.
SOURCE: Wild Blueberry Association of North America
CONTACTS: John Sauve’, Wild Blueberry Association of North America,
(207)288-2655 or Susan Till, SWARDLICK MARKETING GROUP, (207)775-4100. |