Blueberry Compound Fights Cholesterol, Study Finds

August 24, 2004

Hi:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A compound used by blueberries and grapes to

fight off fungal infections could help lower cholesterol, U.S.

researchers reported on Tuesday.

The compound, called pterostilbene, also helps regulate blood sugar

and might help fight type-2 diabetes, the researchers told a meeting

of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.

The finding adds to a growing list of reasons to eat colorful fruit,

especially blueberries, which are rich in compounds known as

antioxidants. These molecules battle cell and DNA damage involved in

cancer, heart disease, diabetes and perhaps also brain degeneration.

" We are excited to learn that blueberries, which are already known to

be rich in healthy compounds, may also be a potent weapon in the

battle against obesity and heart disease, which are leading killers in

the U.S., " Agnes Rimando of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in

Oxford, Mississippi, said in a statement.

Rimando's team had previously found pterostilbene in grapes. It is

similar to a better-known antioxidant in grapes -- resveratrol.

They studied pterostilbene in rat liver cells, soaking them in four

compounds found in blueberries including pterostilbene and

resveratrol. Pterostilbene was the best at activating the PPAR-alpha

receptor, a protein involved in lowering cholesterol and other blood

fats.

In fact, they told the meeting, pterostilbene worked as well as the

commercial drug ciprofibrate -- but it worked more accurately. It was

so specific that it could have fewer side-effects than the drug, they

said.

It is impossible to know yet if simply eating blueberries will lower

cholesterol, Rimando said. But a range of health expert groups,

including the federal government, advise eating as many as 10 servings

of fruits and vegetables a day and blueberries are highly recommended.

Pterostilbene and resveratrol are related chemicals belonging to a

group of compounds called phytoalexins. Plants produce them in

response to stresses such as fungal infection and ultraviolet light.

Pterostilbene may also be a promising compound to develop into a

natural-based fungicide, Rimando said.

Aequalsz

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