Bilberry and Black Currant May Possess Anti-inflammatory Properties

You may consider adding some of this fruits into your smoothies, here the latest discoveries:

” Increased consumption of the anthocyanins found in bilberries and black currants may prevent inflammation by affecting the activation of Nuclear factor-kappaB, scientists have found.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is activated by oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory stimuli and controls the expression of numerous genes involved in the inflammatory response. Dampening NF-kappaB activation and thereby limiting the inflammatory response have been suggested as a potential strategy to prevent chronic inflammatory diseases.

The researchers tested the effect of the bilberry and black-currant-derived anthocyanins on NF-kappaB response both in vitro and in a placebo-controlled clinical trial where the subjects were given 300 mg/day for 3 weeks. In the in vitro study, researchers exposed the cells to a substance that triggers an inflammatory response, then administered the anthocyanins. In the cells treated with anthocyanins, NF-kappaB activation was reduced by 27.6 percent, compared to controls.

In the clinical trial, 120 subjects received the anthocyanin supplement or a placebo. Subjects given the anthocyanins from bilberry and black currants experienced a reduction in markers of inflammation. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interferon each decreased by 25 percent and T cell expression decreased by 15 percent, compared to the group receiving a placebo. In the subjects taking anthocyanins, researchers also noted a 60 percent drop in IL-4 and a 38 percent decrease in IL-13, two mediators of pro-inflammatory responses that can also trigger the activation of NF-kappaB. The placebo group experienced only a four and six percent decrease of IL-4 and IL-13, respectively.

According to the researchers,

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