Study Shows Blueberries May Help Prevent Arthritis and Diabetes

Marva Irene Sweeney-Nixon, Ph.D., associate professor of Biology at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) in Charlottetown, P.E.I. recommends eating a half cup of blueberries everyday as a booster for your health.

Blueberries are high in fiber and vitamin C and are packed with antioxidants and disease-fighting flavonoids. With years of scientific studies on animals showing the health benefits of blueberries and more recently the leap into human studies, Dr. Sweeney-Nixon, Ph.D. enlisted the help of one of her colleagues, Kathy Gottschall-Pass, Ph.D., and recruited a graduate student to run a pilot study. The study involved 14 middle-aged, overweight men at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease. The first group was given just over a cup of blueberry juice daily for 3 weeks and the second a juice like placebo.

Blood samples taken at the beginning and end of each treatment period showed a trend towards better insulin sensitivity. If someone is more sensitive to the insulin their body produces, it can still do its job even though they will produce less with age. The results also showed wild blueberries may ward off inflammation, a symptom of arthritis.

“I wasn’t surprised at the results,” Sweeney-Nixon said. “If we could all eat blue, green, orange and all the colors [of fruits and vegetables], it would make a difference … This was one single change over a few weeks on humans. We have a great capacity to reduce our risk of disease simply by diet.”

Blueberries are best eaten fresh. Choose firm berries that are dark with uniform color with a healthy whitish bloom. Growing your own is a great way to keep fresh blueberries in your diet all season long. Check them out at www.MegaBlueberry.com.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Blueberries+help+prevent+diabetes+arthritis/1705636/story.html