Blueberries' Anti-Cancer Effects

Wild Blueberries: The Anti-Cancer Superfood

Anti-Cancer. Antioxidants. Anthocyanin. Resveratrol. Ellagic Acid.

You've probably heard of antioxidants; the other super nutrients may be new to you. But all these compounds are found in wild blueberries and together they are believed to pack a cancer-fighting wallop.

Antioxidants help to stop your immune system from "rusting". They protect us by neutralising free radicals, rogue oxygen molecules that damage cells and leave us vulnerable to diseases (including cancer).

In 2004 the USDA ranked 40 fruits and vegetables for antioxidant content. Wild blueberries came out at number one on that list. Wild blueberries have 48% more antioxidants than the farmed variety. So if you can get the wild berries, go for it, although you'll still get health benefits from eating farmed blueberries.

Anthocyanin is the major antioxidant in blueberries; it's what makes them blue. The darker the berry, the more anthocyanin, the better it is for you. It's now thought that there are more than 5 different kinds of anthocyanins in wild blueberries, helping to to make them antioxidant rich.

Mary Ann Smith, PhD, a cancer researcher at the University of Illinois, found that proanthocyanidin (a related group of flavinoids which are free radical scavengers) in wild blueberries (and to a lesser extent in cultivated blueberries) suppresses an enzyme that encourages the growth of cancer cells.

Resveratrol is a natural compound also found in blueberries, grapes and cranberries. It has anti-fungal properties, reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases (by lowering cholesterol ) and has cancer fighting and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ellagic Acid is another antioxidant that has also been found to slow the growth of tumours. It may also help the liver to cleanse the blood of cancer-causing agents and has also been found to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

You can buy these antioxidants separately in vitamins, but you're absorbing the nutrients as nature intended when you eat the whole blueberry. And they sure taste better than pills.