Wild blueberries may have CV benefit; study

New research, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food and the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, shows that wild blueberries may have a  cardio-protective effect, improving vascular function and decreasing the  vulnerability of blood vessels to oxidative stress.

The studies contribute to a growing body of research supporting the  potential protective effect of wild blueberries in the diet on cellular  signaling within the vascular environment. These findings suggest that  the consumption of the fruit could help regulate blood pressure and  combat atherosclerosis.

"Our studies confirm our hypothesis that wild blueberry-enriched diets  significantly diminish arterial constriction in animal models by  relaxing blood vessels, which may have implications on blood pressure  regulation in both animal models with normal blood pressure and ones  with high blood pressure," said lead researcher Dorothy Klimis-Zacas  from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the US  University of Maine. "The end result is to aid in maintenance of a  functional endothelium which may help prevent vascular complications  associated with hypertension," she added.