Blueberry Powder

Wild blueberry (Vaccinium augustifolium) is a small, shrubby perennial plant that is one of the few native to North America. The fruit is harvested, ground, extracted, concentrated, and then spray-dried. Blueberry is rich in anthocyanins, and blueberry extract is standardized to contain around 12.5% anthocyanins.

Health Benefits

Blueberries may aid in lowering blood pressure and reducing arterial stiffness.1 Blueberries may reduce lipid oxidation due to its antioxidant property.2,3 It has been suggested in preclinical studies that blueberry consumption may reduce oxidative stress in the brain and aid in preventing the death of dopamine neurons.2,4 Lab studies have suggested that blueberries may contain properties that might inhibit cancer cell growth and protect the cells in the eyes from oxidation and aging.5,6

References

  1. Johnson SA, Figueroa A, Navaei N, Wong A, Kalfon R, Ormsbee LT, Feresin RG, Elam ML, Hooshmand S, Payton ME, Arjmandi BH. Daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015 Mar;115(3):369-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2014.11.001. Epub 2015 Jan 8. PubMed PMID: 25578927.
  2. Papandreou MA, Dimakopoulou A, Linardaki ZI, Cordopatis P, Klimis-Zacas D, Margarity M, Lamari FN. Effect of a polyphenol-rich wild blueberry extract on cognitive performance of mice, brain antioxidant markers and acetylcholinesterase activity. Behav Brain Res. 2009 Mar 17;198(2):352-8. PubMed PMID: 19056430.
  3. Denev P, Kratchanova M, Ciz M, Lojek A, Vasicek O, Nedelcheva P, Blazheva D, Toshkova R, Gardeva E, Yossifova L, Hyrsl P, Vojtek L. Biological activities of selected polyphenol-rich fruits related to immunity and gastrointestinal health. Food Chem. 2014 Aug 15;157:37-44. PubMed PMID: 24679749.
  4. McGuire SO, Sortwell CE, Shukitt-Hale B, Joseph JA, Hejna MJ, Collier TJ. Dietary supplementation with blueberry extract improves survival of transplanted dopamine neurons. Nutr Neurosci. 2006 Oct-Dec;9(5-6):251-8. PubMed PMID: 17263092.
  5. Seeram NP, Adams LS, Zhang Y, Lee R, Sand D, Scheuller HS, Heber D. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and strawberry extracts inhibit growth and stimulate apoptosis of human cancer cells in vitro. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Dec 13;54(25):9329-39. PubMed PMID: 17147415.
  6. Wang Y, Zhang D, Liu Y, Wang D, Liu J, Ji B. The protective effects of berry-derived anthocyanins against visible light-induced damage in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. J Sci Food Agric. 2015 Mar 30;95(5):936-44. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6765. Epub 2014 Jul 15. PubMed PMID: 24909670.