More Blueberries For Tea?

The last few years have seen a great deal of interest in the health benefits of red and blue skinned fruits. Much of the study, and publicity, has revolved around grapes and red wine, and in particular the compound Resveratrol.

However, the humble blueberry fruit has not been neglected as a subject of investigation, and a recent study by scientists at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture produced some significant findings.

This time, it was colon cancer that was being studied, and the effect on the disease of a compound called pterostilbene. Rats were used for this study, and at the end of an eight-week period of the study, the rats that were fed pterostilbene showed 57 percent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in their colon compared to the control group. The researchers erported that there was also evidence that pterostilbene reduced colonic cell proliferation, and inhibited certain genes involved in inflammation, both of which are considered colon cancer risk factors, the researchers say.

A small study maybe, but nonetheless another indication that some our natural foods have medicinal qualities not hitherto appreciated.