Blueberries May Shrink Tumors in Babies

by CJaye | January 21, 2009 at 12:24 pm

389 views | 23 Recommendations | 21 comments

Along with the blueberries, Scientist clearly have shown that berries, which contain a variety of anticancer compounds, have a genome-wide effect on the expression of genes involved in cancer development. Black raspberries have vitamins, minerals, phenols and phytosterols, many of which individually are known to prevent cancer in animals. Freeze drying the berries concentrates these elements about ten times, giving us a power pack of chemoprevention agents that can influence the different signaling pathways that are deregulated in cancer.

Substances found in blueberries may inhibit the growth of blood vessel tumors in infants and children, a new study suggests.

Ohio State University researchers say they found that feeding a blueberry extract to mice with blood vessel tumors safely decreased the size of the tumors and improved survival.

The tumors in question are among the most common tumors in infants, according to the report in the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. In infants, the tumors can be disfiguring and in some cases threaten the health of a child.

Mice with blood vessel tumors that were fed the blueberry extract lived twice as long as mice that did not get the substance and had tumors 60% smaller than mice that did not receive blueberry extract treatment, the authors say.

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tikun

at 12:44 on January 21st, 2009

When I had a farm in Maine we grew about an acre of Blueberries. It was work but nothing tastier then blueberries.

ajatierra

at 13:36 on January 21st, 2009

ajatierra has contributed a photo to this story.

CJaye

at 13:43 on January 21st, 2009

Thank you tikun for your comment and thank you ajatierra for the lovely photos. Both make you hungry and want to go buy lots blueberries.

René

at 15:19 on January 21st, 2009

Blueberries just plain good for you.

CJaye

at 19:50 on January 21st, 2009

Thank you Rene' for comment. Blueberries are just plain good for you and make great cheesecake too:)

Sputnic

at 06:20 on January 22nd, 2009

Hmmm cheesecake

patgarcia

at 16:55 on January 21st, 2009

Blueberries also help your brain functions!Thanks for posting

CJaye

at 19:51 on January 21st, 2009

Thank you PatGarcia for info and comment good to know.

birthdayface

at 17:22 on January 21st, 2009

birthdayface has contributed a picture to this story

CJaye

at 19:51 on January 21st, 2009

Thank you for your picture, all the pictures look so good.

divedart

at 00:53 on January 22nd, 2009

Forgive me for being cynical but I have a nasty feeling that the hype over blueberrys may just be a way of boosting US exports. Are they a 'Super Food'? Were populations in countries where they are not grown dieing through lack of them? Do they taste that much sweeter than Scottish raspberrys or English strawberrys? As for the the last question - I know the answer - I much prefer fresh fruit grown locally and there's nothing nicer than British strawberrys or raspberrys, in session.

CJaye

at 05:50 on January 22nd, 2009

Everybody is entitled to there opinion, I've never eaten Scottish raspberry's or British strawberry's. I'm sure they are good but we don't get them here in the United States. Thank you for your comment though.

Eirinn (not verified)

at 02:23 on January 22nd, 2009

Icelandic blueberries are the best in the world - in my opinion anyway. We have large fields of blueberries - which are smaller thatn the ones in US or Canada but the taste is so much nicer. I recommend if you travel to Iceland in blueberry season that you take a trip with a large bucket and pick some ! the blueberrie season is in august.

It is great to use blueberries when making homemade babyfood - adds awsome taste.