Blueberry Benefits

Now there’s even more reason to toss some blueberries onto your cereal in the morning or indulge in a piece of blueberry pie after dinner. The berries may help fight cholesterol, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study that was presented last week.

It turns out that a compound used by the berries to fight off fungal infections may also help lower cholesterol. The compound, called pterostilbene, also helps regulate blood sugar and might help fight type-2 diabetes, the USDA researchers told a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.

The researchers studied pterostilbene in rat liver cells, soaking them in four compounds found in blueberries. Pterostilbene was the best at activating the PPAR-alpha receptor, a protein involved in lowering cholesterol and other blood fats.

They found that pterostilbene worked as well as the commercial cholesterol-lowering drug ciprofibrate and had fewer side effects, researchers said. Since plants produce pterostilbene in response to stresses such as fungal infection, it may also be a promising compound to develop into a natural-based fungicide.

It is unlikely that simply eating blueberries will lower cholesterol. But the federal government advises eating as many as 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and blueberries are highly recommended.

This finding adds to a growing list of reasons to eat colorful fruit, especially blueberries, which are rich in compounds known as antioxidants. These molecules battle cell and DNA damage involved in cancer, heart disease, diabetes and perhaps also brain degeneration. One serving of blueberries provides as many antioxidants as five servings of carrots, apples, broccoli or squash.

Much of the antioxidants in blueberries is concentrated in the skin. So, you’ll get more antioxidants in wild blueberries as their small size means you’re getting more skin per ounce.

The most recent finding could provide a boost to Maine’s wild blueberry industry, which after a year of lawsuits and bad weather, could use some good news. Because of the harsh winter weather and cool, wet summer, this year’s wild blueberry crop is expected to be much smaller than normal, although individual berries are bigger than usual. A survey conducted by the New England Agricultural Statistics Service estimates this year’s crop to be 52 million pounds, well below the average of nearly 79 million pounds. The annual crop is usually estimated to be worth $75 million.

If you haven’t already, add blueberries to your diet. It’s good for you and for your neighbors who grow the berries.