Health care notes ORONO: STUDIES SHOW BLUEBERRIES FIGHT CANCER

They not only taste good, they’re good for you. Maybe very, very good. According to a study published in the current issue of the Journal of Food Science, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have determined that chemical compounds found in blueberries block the growth of tumor cells by inhibiting certain enzymes that support cancer. Earlier studies have shown that blueberries may help prevent cancer from getting started in the first place by protecting cells from being damaged by oxidation. This same antioxidant effect is thought to slow the aging process and may protect against age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. That’s good news for Maine, which is the world’s largest producer of blueberries, wild or cultivated. The information was released this week by the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, housed at the University of Maine in Orono. Visit www.wildblueberries.com