BAR HARBOR, ME. -- September 23 -- New studies by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and University of Illinois scientists point to health benefits from eating wild blueberries that may be as far reaching as preventing cancer and retarding the effects of aging -- particularly loss of memory and motor skills.

Scientists attribute these benefits to anthocyanins and other natural compounds (phytochemicals) found in wild blueberries. Anthocyanins are responsible for the intense blue color of wild blueberries.

Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University are focusing on the antioxidant characteristics of various fruits and vegetables. In particular, they are investigating a group of phytochemicals called flavonoids, which include wild blueberry anthocyanins.

USDA scientists Dr. Ronald Prior and Dr. Guohua Cao have demonstrated that blueberries contain the highest antioxidant capacity of the 40 different fruits and vegetables tested.

"The antioxidant characteristics in blueberries appear to be due largely to anthocyanins," said Dr. Prior, whose earlier research led to his hypothesis the pigment of red and blue fruits was at play. Wild blueberries contain one of the highest anthocyanin levels of berries commercially available in North America.

Antioxidants neutralize the negative by-products of metabolism called free radicals, which can damage DNA molecules and lead to cancer. They also counteract environmental carcinogens, protect against cardiovascular disease, fight sun damage to skin and may thwart the effects of Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases.

Also at the Jean Mayer Center, USDA scientist Dr. James Joseph showed that rats fed diets containing blueberry extract had smaller changes in brain neurotransmitter function than those fed other diets; resulting in improved cognitive and motor functions. Dr. Joseph likewise attributes the beneficial effect of the blueberry diet primarily to its high anthocyanin content.

Cancer research at the University of Illinois by Dr. Mary Ann Smith and Dr. Keith Singletary shows another flavonoid component in wild blueberries inhibits an enzyme involved in the promotion stage of cancer. The researchers applied extracts from wild blueberries, cultivated blueberries and European bilberries to living cells at various stages in the development of cancer. Wild blueberries exhibited some of the greatest anti-cancer activity of all the berries examined.

Earlier studies in 1994 and 1996 showed blueberries, like cranberries, are beneficial in treating and preventing urinary tract infections. A component found only in blueberry and cranberry juices inhibits bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall, thereby reducing infection.

The potential health benefits of anthocyanins have been the subject of hundreds of studies worldwide according to Dr. Willy Kalt of the Kentville Research Centre in Nova Scotia. Anthocyanins found in bilberries, the European cousin of the Wild Blueberry, have been linked to reducing eyestrain, controlling diabetes, improving circulation, and other health benefits. Dr. Kalt demonstrated these anthocyanins are found in high concentrations in the lowbush wild blueberry.

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