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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The key to fighting colon cancer and heart disease may be juicier than you think! Recent research presented at the 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society reveals blueberries contain chemicals that could help prevent colon cancer while lowering cholesterol at the same time.
"Scientists are making extracts from berries, showing the ability of a berry's components to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and culture, and looking at the effects of those extracts in different genes," Gary Stoner, Ph.D., a cancer researcher at The Ohio State University in Columbus told Ivanhoe.
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In order to determine the colon cancer-fighting capabilities of pterostilbene, an antioxidant that is particularly abundant in blueberries, researchers at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J., conducted a study using 18 rats with chemically induced colon cancer. Half the rodents were placed on a balanced diet while the other half were given the same diet with pterostilbene supplements. After eight weeks, the rats that received pterostilbene had 57-percent fewer cancerous lesions in their colons than the control group. The chemical also inhibited inflammation in rats who received the experimental treatment.
Because colon cancer has been linked to high levels of calories and gratuitous amounts of saturated fats, researchers believe pterostilbene might also play an important role in lowering lipid levels in the body. In fact, another study conducted by USDA researchers reveals hamsters that ate blueberry skins as part of their diet had lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides than their blueberry-free counterparts. Study authors are still unsure whether the results of these studies are applicable to humans, but they plan to find out. In the meantime, study author Bandaru Reddy, Ph.D., a professor in the department of Chemical Biology at Rutgers writes, "This study underscores the need to include more berries in the diet, especially blueberries."
Based on the results of these two studies, researchers suggest producing pterostilbene in a pill form so patients interested in preventing colon cancer would have a natural alternative to commercial medications filled with unpleasant side effects.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: The 233rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago, March 25-29, 2007
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