Concord grape (Vitis vinifera L.), one of the most
enriched anthocyanin food sources
[follow the Wikipedia links]
In Part 1, we reviewed several FAQ (click!) about anthocyanins and ...
in Part 2, we looked at a ranking of
anthocyanin contents among berries
Summarizing
Anthocyanins are responsible for the
red, purple, blue, violet, black, (some) orange,
(some) yellow, and mixed colors of plant foods
we see in the produce aisle of the grocery store
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They exist in the fruit, vegetable,
flowers, leaves, roots, stems and husk of numerous plant foods common in our diets
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You can shop for anthocyanins simply by choosing colors of fresh or frozen produce -- practice the Color Code!
Wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) from Finland, close cousin to the blueberry,
but richer in anthocyanins and considerably more acidic.
From reported research to date, bilberry has the highest anthocyanin
content among berries.
C-Reactive Protein and
Inflammatory Mechanisms
Some basics
1. Inflammation is a necessary process for healing (such as for a sprain or skin cut) and serves a healthy purpose when it occurs over a short duration (hours to days)
2. But when it is chronic (weeks to years), inflammation can lead to development of potentially life-threatening disease. The diseases below may result from chronic inflammation
3. One of the measurable signs of chronic inflammation is a rise in blood levels of a biomarker called C-reactive protein (CRP)
4. The US Centers for Disease Control and American Heart Association regard CRP as a sensitive, inexpensive biomarker for detection of cardiovascular disease (click for a research abstract!)
5. Anthocyanin content is proportional to
total antioxidant capacity (in a laboratory test tube)
Just by eating berries and other color-rich plant foods,
can we inhibit inflammation and prevent production
of C-reactive protein?
Recent research from Italy and Japan says "Yes"!
Let's have a look at three abstracts
"Total antioxidant capacity is inversely correlated with blood concentrations of CRP and this could be one of the mechanisms explaining the protective effects against cardiovascular disease of antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits, whole cereals and red wine. This could be of particular significance for subjects with high blood pressure."
"Selecting foods according to their total antioxxidant capacity markedly affects antioxidant intake and modulates ... systemic inflammation."
"A healthy dietary pattern, characterized by high intakes of vegetables, fruit, soy products, and fish, was significantly and inversely related to CRP concentrations, even after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity in both men and women."
Anthocyanin-rich black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis L.)
Other Reading
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