2007 Berry Research Health Benefits Part 1 of 8
OBESITY and DIABETES |
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This is the first of 8 essays on new berry science reported at the 2nd International Symposium on Berry Health Benefits, Oregon State University, Corvallis June 11-12, 2007 A pandemic of poor dietary and lifestyle practices linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and chronic inflammation, pain and cardiovascular diseases has swept across the world in recent decades. Recognizing the urgent need to redirect consumer attention toward healthier eating habits and lifestyles, various scientific and consumer organizations have released advisories for eating higher amounts of whole natural foods, including color-rich plants like berries. Health Power of Pigments Discussed previously from the Berry Doctor's Journal Every one of 27 presentations at the Oregon Berry Health Benefits Symposium discussed the potential health values of anthocyanins.
What are anthocyanins? Anthocyanins (from Greek: anthos = flower + kyanos = blue) are water-soluble pigments that appear in a general range of red to blue, according to acidity. In response to ripening maturity and environmental stressors, they are synthesized by plants and bacteria, occurring in all tissues of higher plants, providing color in leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits.
Roles of anthocyanin pigments in plants (summarized from Wikipedia)
2. in fruits, the colorful skins attract predators to eat the fruit and disperse the seeds 3. in photosynthetic tissues (like leaves), anthocyanins act as a "sunscreen", protecting cells from high sun and radiation stress by absorbing blue-green light 4. serve antioxidant functions and so help protect the plant from radicals formed by ultraviolet light and during metabolic processes. This antioxidant property is conserved even after consumption by an animal -- another reason why fruits and vegetables with colorful skins and tissues are a nutritious food source 5. local stressors, such as pest intensity, infections, weather variations, sun-shade exposure, latitude, variations in day-night temperatures during ripening, etc. affect the rate of pigment synthesis
Anthocyanin Intake for Prevention of Obesity and Diabetes Research from Dr. T. Tsuba, Chubu University, Japan In animal models and in vitro studies, anthocyanins
and insulin levels following a meal (curtailing appetite)
The effects were caused by anthocyanins acting on genes for fat metabolism. This gives preliminary evidence that dietary anthocyanins may stimulate mechanisms countering weight gain and obesity. A dietary anthocyanin called cyanidin-3-glucoside inhibited symptoms of diabetes in mice, providing a foundation for the possible use of anthocyanin-rich foods in treating diabetes and obesity. Recent publication by Dr. Tsuba
Courtesy of the US National Berry Crops Initiative
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