2023-04-26 09:44:40
The National Health Nutrition Program recommends consuming at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day. Goji, physalis, acai, cranberry,… several berries are regularly talked about for their health benefits. A recent US study touts blueberries for brain and cardiovascular health. Explanations.
Blueberries, berries concentrated in antioxidant polyphenols
Berries, including blueberries, are small fruits that are often very interesting from a nutritional point of view, due to their low calorie intakebut also of their rich in vitamins, mineral salts and polyphenols. Polyphenols are substances found in many plants and possessing antioxidant properties recognized. According to multiple studies, the antioxidant power of polyphenols contributes to better health, by protecting cells and tissues from damage linked to oxidative stress.
Early data suggested the interest of polyphenols present in blueberries for vascular health and cognitive performance. But the mechanisms behind these benefits have so far remained unclear. In a new study, US researchers conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial on 61 healthy people aged 65 to 80. These subjects were randomly divided into two groups:
- A group receiving 26 g of powder of wild blueberries freeze-dried (containing 302 mg of polyphenols, anthocyanins);
- A group receiving the same weight of placebo, containing no trace of polyphenol.
Blueberries beneficial for cardiovascular and brain health
Various parameters were measured at the start of the study, then 12 weeks after the daily consumption of blueberries or placebo:
- Parameters related to the cardiovascular health: endothelial function, arterial stiffness, blood pressure;
- Parameters related to the brain health: cognitive functions, cerebral blood flow;
- The intestinal microbiota;
- Blood polyphenol levels.
The results obtained show that elderly subjects who consumed blueberries daily had cognitive functions improved: better executive functions, stronger short-term memory and faster reaction times. Similarly, vascular parameters (vascular function and blood pressure) were improved by taking blueberries daily. The blueberry polyphenols were found in the bloodstream of the elderly and were naturally eliminated in the urine, without impacting the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
Wild blueberries on the menu to protect your heart and brain
These new data confirm the interest of blueberry polyphenols, anthocyanins, for cardiovascular and brain health. The daily consumption of blueberries could thus reduce the risk of disease and cardiovascular accident in the elderly, in particular the risk of myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident (CVA). It would also contribute to preserving cognitive functions, preserving them from age-related cognitive decline.
Introducing blueberries into your daily diet would therefore be a good idea, not only for the elderly, but also for the youngest. Low in sugar and high in dietary fibre, these fruits can be eaten every day. To reach the level of consumption presented in the study – 26 g of dried blueberries – it is still necessary to consume 178 g of fresh blueberries, or about 80 blueberries. And ideally, you should favor wild blueberries, which are nutritionally more interesting than cultivated blueberries (black blueberries or brimbelles). Even without reaching this level of consumption, eating blueberries at every opportunity, in a fruit salad or in muesli for example, is a healthy gesture for the heart and the brain!
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
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