March is Nutrition Month

March 12, 2019

Timed to coincide with Nutrition Month, two recent research studies have been published – one a clinical study tied to cardiovascular health and the second a cellular migration study for wound healing. Below is a summary of each study and a link to the news.

Research Study #1: Circulating Anthocyanin Metabolites Mediate Vascular Benefits of [Wild] Blueberries: Insights from Randomized Controlled Trials, Metabolomics and Nutrigenomics; The Journal of Gerontology: Series A.

Summary:

For those of you who promote eating in color, this research shows that eating a cup-and-half of wild blueberries daily can improve blood vessel function and decrease systolic blood pressure in healthy people. This is great news as we celebrate heart health month since high blood pressure is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and if ignored could lead to heart attacks and strokes. The research concluded that it’s the anthocyanins or the blue in the wild blueberries at work and is novel because of the focus on healthy adults and not at-risk populations. Plus, the lowering of the blood pressure observed in the study is similar to what is commonly observed in clinical studies with blood pressure medication.

The study involved a series of projects by researchers at eight universities. Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos was head of the project’s lead research team, and is currently Assistant Professor at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences at King’s College London in the UK.

Read more >>

Research Study #2: Phenolic and Anthocyanin Fractions from Wild Blueberries, Differentially Modulate Endothelial Cell Migration Partially through RHOA and RAC1, The Journal of Cellular Biochemistry.

Summary:

Over the years, numerous studies have documented the beneficial health effects of wild blueberry consumption on inflammation and cardiovascular disease, as well as many other chronic diseases associated with aging. However, only a few studies have documented the effects of single anthocyanins and phenolic acids from berries on cell migration, angiogenesis and wound healing. This study reveals that the unique phenolic acids found in wild blueberries speed up the migration of cells that line our blood vessels (endothelial cells)—an important step in the growth of new tissue. The findings have positive implications for wound healing and tissue repair, which are especially important for people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and conditions associated with ischemia, such as strokes.

The study was conducted at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine, under the direction of Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, Ph.D., FACN, at the University’s School of Food and Agriculture.

Read more >>

About the Wild Blueberry Association of North America

The Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) is an international trade association of growers and processors of wild blueberries from Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Maine, dedicated to bringing the wild blueberry health story and unique wild advantages to consumers and the trade worldwide.  For news, recipes, and related health information about wild blueberries visit www.wildblueberryassociation.ca or www.wildblueberries.com. For the latest updates, read the blog.  Visit  on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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For more information, recipes, visuals or to schedule an interview or in-studio segment with Wild Blueberry Association of North America spokespeople Wilhelmina Kalt, Ph.D  or Kit Broihier, MS, RD, nutrition advisor, please contact Ruth Colapinto or Susan Willemsen at The Siren Group Inc. Tel: 416-461-5270.

E-mail: ruth@thesirengroup.com or susan@thesirengoup.com. Visit: www.thesirengroup.com or on Twitter and Instagram @thesirengroup.

For briefings or interviews with authors of the paper, please contact Dorothy Klimis-Zacas at dorothea@maine.edu. Tel.: 207- 581-3124.