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Posted on Jul 26, 2012, 6 a.m.
Blueberries promote bile acid excretion, a process necessary in achieving healthy cholesterol levels.
High in anthocyanins and flavonols, potent antioxidant compounds, blueberries have been associated with a number of positive health effects. Researchers from The Chinese University of Hong Kong supplemented diets with 0.5% and 1% blueberry anthocyanins, for six weeks, in an animal model. The team observed a resulting 37% and 66% increase, respectively, in bile acid excretion. As well, sterol excretion increased by 29 and 74%, respectively in both groups. The study authors conclude that: "The cholesterol-lowering activity of blueberry anthocyanins was most likely mediated by enhancing the excretion of sterols accompanied with down-regulation on gene expression of [major receptors, enzymes, and transporters involved in cholesterol metabolism.]”
Yintong Liang, Jingnan Chen, Yuanyuan Zuo, Ka Ying Ma, Yue Jiang, et al. “Blueberry anthocyanins at doses of 0.5 and 1 % lowered plasma cholesterol by increasing fecal excretion of acidic and neutral sterols in hamsters fed a cholesterol-enriched diet.” European Journal of Nutrition, 9 June 2012.
