Stay up-to-date on the latest health and nutrition information with Virtual Health Info's monthly HealthWatch bulletin, America's premier source for health information. The September issue of HealthWatch features the following articles:The Importance Of Strong Immunity and National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue And Purple Fruits And Vegetables
Click here for more information.

National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue And Purple Fruits And Vegetables

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the national health authority that encourages all Americans to eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to promote health and reduce risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, is strongly urging all Americans to eat blue and purple fruits and vegetables. This is because fruits such as blueberries, acai, and pomegranate containdisease-fighting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. NCI states that anthocyanins and phenolics are powerful antioxidants that help reduce the risk of such diseases as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. They may even help to slow the aging process. NCI also encourages eating a wide variety of other colorful foods in order to take advantage of other types of healthful phytonutrients they contain. For more information go to www.5aday.gov.

July 2008 Healthwatch

Stay up-to-date on the latest health and nutrition information with Virtual Health Info's monthly HealthWatch bulletin, America's premier source for health information. The July issue of HealthWatch features the following articles:Nature's Pharmacy Anthocyanins, National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables, Study Concludes Fruit/ Blueberry Consumption May Prevent Cardiovascular Disease. Click here for more information.

National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the national health authority that encourages all Americans to eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit a day to promote health and reduce risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, is strongly urging all Americans to eat blue and purple fruits and vegetables. This is because fruits such as blueberries, acai, and pomegranate contain disease-fighting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. NCI states that anthocyanins and phenolics are powerful antioxidants that help reduce the risk of such diseases as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. They may even help to slow the aging process. NCI also encourages eating a wide variety of other colorful foods in order to take advantage of other types of healthful phytonutrients they contain. Click here for more information

Study Concludes Fruit/ Blueberry Consumption May Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

A November 2005 study released by Appalachian State University Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science found that daily fruit consumption significantly reduces oxidative stress in chronic smokers. The results were obtained by observing twenty chronic smokers over a three week period. The subjects were divided into three groups: the first group consumed 250g of blueberries daily, the second group consumed 250g of blueberries right before the final blood testing and the third was a control group and did nothing. The subjects' blood was drawn at the beginning and end of the study. The study concluded that acute ingestion of fruit had no affect on oxidative stress levels in the blood while daily fruit consumption significantly reduced this oxidation. The study states that fruit consumption plays a role in preventing cardiovascular disease. For more information, go to Free Radical Research, November 2005. Source: Taylor & Francis, Volume 39, Number 11, November 2005.

Berries' May Effect Cancer Cells

Various studies over the years have focused on the health benefits of antioxidants found in blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, red raspberries, and strawberries. Now, the extracts from the same fruits are believed to have anti-cancer effects. Research, conducted by UCLA researchers, identified and evaluated the main phenolic constituents of the berries using advanced detection methods. The major classes of berry phenolics were anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanols, ellagitannins, gallotannins, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids. They were evaluated to see how able they were to inhibit the growth of human oral, breast, colon, and prostate tumor cell lines using a wide range of concentrations. As the berry extract increased in concentration, increased inhibition of cell proliferation in all cell lines were observed, with differing degrees of potency between cell lines. A different evaluation method showed that black raspberry and strawberry extracts had a significant effect against a colon cancer line. The data in this study and in past studies warrants further investigation into the anti-cancer effects of berries in test tube models. For more information go to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Volume 54, December 2006.

Study Concludes Fruit/Blueberry Consumption May Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

A November 2005 study released by Appalachian State University’s Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science found that daily fruit consumption significantly reduces oxidative stress in chronic smokers. The results were obtained by observing twenty chronic smokers over a three week period. The subjects were divided into three groups: the first group consumed 250g of blueberries daily, the second group consumed 250g of blueberries right before the final blood testing and the third was a control group and did nothing. The subjects’ blood was drawn at the beginning and end of the study. The study concluded that acute ingestion of fruit had no affect on oxidative stress levels in the blood while daily fruit consumption significantly reduced this oxidation. The study states that fruit consumption plays a role in preventing cardiovascular disease. For more information, go to Free Radical Research, November 2005. Source: Taylor & Francis, Volume 39, Number 11, November 2005. Read More.

Effect of Daily Fruit Ingestion on Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Activity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress in Chronic Smokers

This study examined whether, daily fruit (blueberries) consumption (250 g) for three weeks or acute fruit ingestion (250 g) would attenuate angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and reduce oxidative stress in chronic cigarette smokers. Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Volume 39, Journal 11, November 2005. Read More.

Source: Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Volume 39, Journal 11, November 2005. Read More.

Blueberry Polyphenols Increase Lifespan and Thermotolerance in Caenorhabditis Elegans

The beneficial effects of polyphenol compounds in fruits and vegetables are mainly extrapolated from in vitro studies or short-term dietary supplementation studies. Due to cost and duration, relatively little is known about whether dietary polyphenols are beneficial in whole animals, particularly with respect to aging. To address this question, we examined the effects of blueberry polyphenols on lifespan and aging of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, a useful organism for such a study. Aging Cell, Volume 5, Issue 1, February 2006. Read More..

Source: Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 5, Issue 1, February 2006. Read More.

National Cancer Institute Encourages Eating Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the national health authority that encourages all Americans to eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit a day to promote health and reduce risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, is strongly urging all Americans to eat blue and purple fruits and vegetables. This is because fruits such as blueberries contain disease-fighting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. NCI states that anthocyanins and phenolics are powerful antioxidants that help reduce the risk of such diseases as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. They may even help to slow the aging process. NCI also encourages eating a wide variety of other colorful foods in order to take advantage of other types of healthful phytonutrients they contain. For more information, go to www.5aday.gov or Read More Here.

Wild Blueberries May Reduce Risk of Chronic Degenerative Diseases

A recent study set out to determine whether the consumption of wild blueberries would enhance the serum antioxidant status in healthy human subjects. A group of eight middle-aged male subjects participated in this single-blinded crossover study. When the study was finished, researchers had acquired enough data to demonstrate that supplementation of a freeze-dried blueberry powder increased serum antioxidant status in humans following a high-fat meal. An increased serum antioxidant status has been suggested as a possible variable in reducing the risk of many chronic degenerative disorders. More research is needed to confirm these findings. For more information go to the British Journal of Nutrition, 2002, Volume 88, pages 389-397. Read More.

Effect of Daily Fruit Ingestion on Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Activity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress in Chronic Smokers

Blueberry Polyphenols Increase Lifespan and Thermotolerance in Caenorhabditis Elegans

Blueberries pack a powerful health punch

Excerpt from CNN.com

By Frances A. Largeman, RD

Monday, August 14, 2006; Posted: 11:26 a.m. EDT (15:26 GMT)

story.blueberries.farm.jpg Growing up in upstate New York, I remember eating blueberries the size of marbles. But those were cultivated berries -- not the tiny wild ones that are in season right now, as I discovered last year when I visited the wild blueberry fields in Maine. These petite gems don't grow on big bushes like the cultivated ones, but on small plants that barely reach my knees.

The wild blueberries at Wyman's farm near Bar Harbor, Maine, are one of the few U.S. crops still harvested by hand, using rakes to capture the fruit. It's tough work; the harvesters rake millions of pounds of berries in a 6-week period in late summer.

Phytochemicals in blueberries found to lower LDL cholesterol as well as prescription drugs; cancer prevention also noted

Excerpt from www.Newstarget.com