Blueberries, which have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart attack, may also help treat Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, new research suggests.
Medical investigators at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada noted past research has found that a gene called alpha-synuclein plays a role in Parkinson's development by regulating the release of dopamine — a chemical neurotransmitter involved in motor control that is believed to be lacking in the brains of patients with Parkinson's.
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Past studies have also shown that antioxidants and phytonutrients in blueberries may have an effect on brain chemistry, which is crucial for normal brain function.
For the latest study, reported by
Medical News Today, the Canadian researchers transplanted the gene into fruit fries, which caused them to experience a series of defects and reduced lifespan. But when they added blueberry extract to the flies diet, it increased their lifespan and improved defects tied to the gene.
In fact, the flies fed the blueberry extract had up to an 8-day (15 percent) greater lifespan than flies that had been fed a standard diet. In addition, blueberry extract appeared to improve eye defects in the flies.
The researchers explained that the increase in lifespan seen in the fruit flies is the equivalent to an 8-year extended lifespan in humans.
"If you have a disease and you're given an extra 8 years of life, you'd probably be pretty happy with that," said study co-author Brian Staveley, M.D., of the Department of Biology at Memorial.
He added: "This gene is proven to be the cause of inherited Parkinson's disease in human families that have more of the gene, or an unusual form of it."
About 500,000 Americans have Parkinson's Disease, and 50,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
Dr. Staveley said compared with pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals — food products that provide potential medical and health benefits — do not receive enough medical testing.
"So, what you get instead is: 'Eat this. It's good for you,' " he said. "That's great, but by approaching it from a scientific perspective, we hope to be able to see exactly what a particular extract can do in fly models."
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