Article
Blueberries May Lower Blood Fat/Cholesterol
By Daniel DeNoon
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Monday, August 23, 2004
Aug. 23, 2004 -- Blueberries contain a powerful cholesterol- and fat-fighting compound, USDA researchers report.
You already know blueberries are good for you. They're already touted as antioxidant-rich fruits that protect against the ravages of aging, heart disease, and cancer. Now, add potential cholesterol-fighting effects to the list of blueberry benefits, suggests Agnes M. Rimando, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Products Utilization Research Center in Oxford, Miss.
Rimando and colleagues tested a compound found in blueberries, pterostilbene, for its ability to turn on a switch in cells that breaks down fat and cholesterol. They reported their findings at this week's 228th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.
"We are excited to learn that blueberries, which are already rich in healthy compounds, may also be a potent weapon in the battle against obesity and heart disease," Rimando says in a news release.
Pterostilbene -- the fat-fighting compound in blueberries -- has been found to have cancer-fighting and diabetes-fighting properties. It's similar to resveratrol, which is found in grapes. That's one reason why moderate amounts of red wine are good for you. Rimando and colleagues report that the blueberry compound may be even more potent than the red-wine compound.
In their laboratory studies, Rimando's team used rat liver cells. Since there were no human tests -- or even animal studies -- there's no way to say how many blueberries humans have to eat to cut their cholesterol. But, the experiments showed that the blueberry compound worked better than ciprofibrate, a drug used outside the U.S. to lower blood fats and cholesterol.
SOURCES: American Chemical Society 228th National Meeting, Philadelphia, Aug. 22-26, 2004. News release, American Chemical Society.
© 2004 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
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Grapes May Cut Cholesterol and Blood Fats
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD on Friday, August 27, 2004
Aug. 27, 2004 -- Looking to lower your cholesterol and blood fats? Help may be as close as a bunch of grapes.
Grapes contain a compound called pterostilbene that may reduce cholesterol and triglycerides - a type of blood fat -- just as well as a prescription drug.
That finding was reported this week at the 228th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society by Agnes Rimando, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Products Utilization Research Center in Oxford, Miss.
Rimando measured how strongly pterostilbene affected an enzyme involved in regulating blood fat levels. In tests on rat liver cells, the researchers found that the grape compound's effect on the enzyme was equal to that of ciprofibrate, a drug used outside the U.S. to lower triglycerides and cholesterol. This drug is in the same class as drugs that are available in the U.S., including Lopid and Tricor.
In addition, pterostilbene outperformed resveratrol, a similar grape compound that's also shown promise in cutting cholesterol and blood fats. Both grape compounds have also shown cancer-fighting properties in laboratory studies.
Grapes don't have the market cornered on pterostilbene. Blueberries also have it, giving them fat- and cholesterol-fighting properties, Rimando reported earlier this week.
How many grapes do you have to eat to reap the benefits? No one knows yet.But you can bet that researchers will head back to the grapevine for further studies.
SOURCES: American Chemical Society 228th National Meeting, Philadelphia, Aug. 22-26, 2004. News release, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. WebMD Medical News: "Blueberries May Lower Blood Fat/Cholesterol."
© 2004 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
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