[Follow the Wikipedia links]
This is the 6th 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
First a review of background ...
A pandemic of poor diets and lifestyle practices linked to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, 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.
Spoon yourself some anthocyanins ...
Read other background about anthocyanins in this series
Part 1 - Obesity and diabetes
Part 2 - Cancer
Part 3 - Bacterial Infections
Part 4 - Brain Health
Part 5 - Inflammation
These reports of the berry research symposium are evidence
that top, high-quality science is being applied to understanding
health properties of berries.
If this is the most advanced science, what can we conclude about health benefits from berries at this point?
How is this information being communicated to consumers
who buy berries and depend on berry products like juices
to provide health benefits?
Cranberries, Vaccinium macrocarpon L.
Courtesy of The Cranberry Institute
Due to laboratory and human research completed to date,
no berry is more deserving of health claims than the cranberry
Health Claims on Berry Product Labels?
Interpreting Anti-Disease Effects from Preliminary Research
Background and conclusions to date (get more research at Wikipedia)
- 99% of berry research on potential health benefits is still at the preliminary stage of in vitro testing, laboratory models or early experiments in animals
- the fate of berry nutrients and antioxidants after berries are eaten is mostly unknown due to the complex effects of digestion on food components
- the properties of berry nutrients and antioxidants in vivo ("inside" the human body, at the level of cells) are completely unknown
- only the anti-bacterial effects of cranberries on urinary tract infections have been identified in human clinical trials, and even these expensive studies remain incomplete
- to accurately convey research information to consumers, all manufacturers can say at this point is that early research results indicate potential for certain health effects
- consequently, exact statements about any berry providing health benefits can not be made yet as a certain claim on product labels
2007 Goji berry harvest, Ningxia, China
Due to the preliminary nature of research completed to date and over-enthusiastic, non-scientific marketing,
no berry is more overstated for its health effects than the goji (wolfberry, Lycium barbarum L.)
Why are the rules so stringent?
Safety for all consumers.
The US FDA and similar agencies around the world
must demand the highest research standards and most exacting results for making a health claim about a consumable product for human use, whether it be a food or a drug...
For those interested in greater depth,
read the guidance documents for
making health claims on food product labels
Essay series from the
2007 Symposium on Berry Health Benefits
- Obesity and Diabetes
- Cancer
- Bacterial Infections
-
Brain Health
- Inflammation
- Interpreting Anti-Disease Benefits from Preliminary Research (Today)
- Processing and Storage Effects on Nutrients
- A Dietary Guide
ARCHIVES (click!)
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Dr. Paul
The Berry Doctor
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