Lee Swanson Research Update

Blueberries May Help Curb Colon Cancer

April 2007

Blueberries, already touted as a super food because they may protect against memory loss and heart disease, could help stop the development of colon cancer, according to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research.

Epidemiologic studies have linked the consumption of fruits and vegetables to reduced risk of several types of cancer. "Laboratory animal model studies have provided evidence that stilbenes, phenolic compounds present in grapes and blueberries, play a role in inhibiting the risk of certain cancers," researchers stated. "Pterostilbene, a naturally occurring stilbene from blueberries, was tested for its preventive activity against colon carcinogenesis."

"Pterostilbene is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent that is mostly found in blueberries and blackberries," said study leader Bandaru Reddy, a research professor at Rutgers University’s Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research. "We tested it using a rat model that is very similar to the human situation."

For the pilot study, the researchers gave 18 rats a compound called azoxymethane, a chemical that induces colon cancer. Half of the rats were then fed a balanced diet, while the other half was given the same diet, plus the compound pterostilbene (at a level of 40 parts per million).

After eight weeks, the rats that were fed pterostilbene had 57% fewer pre-cancerous lesions in their colon (called preneoplastic lesions) compared to the other group. Ingesting pterostilbene also reduced colon cell proliferation and inhibited the expression of certain genes involved in inflammation—both of these are considered to be risk factors for colon cancer, the study authors said.

Although further study is needed, researchers concluded: "The results of the present study suggest that pterostilbene, a compound present in blueberries, is of great interest for the prevention of colon cancer."

Clinical Cancer Research 13(1):350-355, 2007

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