Another reason to turn to whole foods to fight disease, rather than allegedly safe drugs that often do more harm than good: In the case of blueberries, they can help you lower your odds of developing colon cancer.
Scientists tested the effect of pterostilbene, an antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory found in blueberries, on mice given azoxymethane, a chemical compound than induces colon cancer. Nine rats were fed a balanced diet, while the rest were given the same, plus pterostilbene for eight weeks.
No surprise, animals whose diets were fortified with pterostilbene had 57 percent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in their colons and demonstrated fewer risk factors for colon cancer (inhibiting gene inflammation and colonic cell proliferation).
These results may also go far toward explaining why adding blueberries reduces the damage to meats when they're grilled too.
Just be sure not to eat too many blueberries, as it can release a surplus of sugar in your body that can compromise your insulin levels.
Clinical Cancer Research, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 1, 2007: 350-355Yahoo News March 27, 2007Science Daily March 26, 2007