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Blueberries are delicious and practically all people love to eat them. However, now it has come out that blueberries can help control high cholesterol levels and prevent the onset of colon cancer. These results were concluded by two studies; one conducted by the Natural Products Utilization Research Unit of the US Department of Agriculture and other by Rutgers University.
The Natural Products Utilization Research Unit gave hamsters high cholesterol diet that was either mixed with free discharged blueberry skins or without it. It was found that hamsters who ate the diet with blueberry skins had 20 percent lower LDL cholesterol compared to hamsters who did not consume blueberry skins.
In the other study, Rutgers University injected 18 rats with a toxin to induce colon cancer. 9 rats were given a small quantity of a chemical compound known as pterostilbene which naturally occurs in blueberries. It was found that these rats had 57 percent fewer cancer lesions compared to rats who were not given pterostilbene.
Blueberries have always been in the forefront for their high antioxidant and phytochemical content and earlier studies have shown that these can reduce the risk of certain cancers. Also, some studies have shown that consumption of blueberries can reduce the risk of urinary tract infection and heart disease, reduce the damage caused by strokes and help to put off Alzheimer's disease. However, all these studies have been conducted only on animals.
Pterostilbene is considered to be main chemical that is responsible for all the health benefits that blueberries display. In fact, certain studies conducted on animals show that pterostilbene reduces cognitive problems that arise with age, reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, reduce the level of fats in the blood and also help to decrease the levels of blood sugar.
Thos of you who want to reap the health benefits of blueberries should make sure that you consume only organically grown berries as they will not contain residue of pesticides and other chemical fertilizers that can cause cancer.
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Source by Pauline Go
