Recent Doctors Research

After review of more than 300 doctors research reports conducted on berries in 2006, the Berry Doctor's agreed on  the top 10 medical science studies for 2006. Doctor Gross published a paper "Berry Research Breakthroughs: Top 10 Medical Studies of 2006".

Doctor Paul  M. Gross received his doctorate in physiology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland and was a post-doctoral fellow in neuroscience at the Laboratory of Cerebral Metabolism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. A former Research Scholar for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, he published 85 peer-reviewed journal reports and book chapters over a 25 year career in medical science, and was recipient of the Karger Memorial Award, Switzerland, for publications on brain capillaries. Dr. Gross is on the Steering Committee of the International Berry Health Association.

From this three significant trends in the doctors research were found:

1. Sophisticated biological models are being applied to demonstrate properties of berry constituents, particularly antioxidant phytochemicals.
2. There is increasing focus on identifying potential health benefits of berries against major diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, viral infections and particularly cancer.
3. Exotic, nutrient- and antioxidant-dense berries (sometimes called “superfruits”), such as acai, are increasingly under systematic investigation to more completely define their properties.

Of the 10 medical science studies the following two studies are significant:

1. The Doctors Research on: Direct vasoactive and vasoprotective properties of anthocyanin-rich extracts

Although nitric oxide is reactive oxygen specie (ROS), it is, under normal conditions, an important universal transmitter in the human body, having a role in numerous physiological processes.

It is particularly important for regulation of blood flow and blood pressure by dilation of small arteries whose smooth muscle layers are under control by nitric oxide as the endothelium-dependent relaxation factor. Nitric oxide, however, can be attacked by other ROS and its normal functions deterred.

This study examined the effect of anthocyanin phenolics from chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa), bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) and elderberries (Sambucus nigra) on protection of nitric oxide regulation of vascular tone in pig coronary (heart) artery rings in vitro (a model for human heart artery function).

The berry anthocyanins themselves caused the heart arteries to relax (dilate) and also protected normal nitric oxide-mediated dilation in the presence of other ROS.

This study concluded that berry anthocyanins, either through the diet or as therapeutic agents, may be important for protection of blood flow in coronary artery disease. Such results indicate that colorful berries could be valuable as dietary preventative agents for general health of the heart and vascular system.

2. The Doctors Research on:  Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (acai).

One of nature's most color-intense fruits, acai is attracting interest for its future use in functional foods where it could supply rich concentration of phenolic antioxidants and value as a deep violet colorant.

In studies to characterize the antioxidant strength of acai, these authors measured freeze-dried acai powder against several assays of antioxidant capacity, finding the highest scores yet measured for a fruit against the superoxide radical and for total antioxidant strength.

Anthocyanins were only partly responsible for this effect, as other, yet unidentified phenolics were present. Using human neutrophil cells as a model, the authors also showed that acai phenolics remain intact and effective in low doses in exerting their antioxidant effect. This finding indicates that small amounts of acai added to foods or beverages could provide significant antioxidant protection.