Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Nov. 13 -- GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-- Blueberries defy the complaints made by every kid who has ever sat down at the dinner table and groaned: 'If it's good for you, it must taste bad.'
To the chagrin of Mom, such laments seemed to have merit whenever she tried in vain to disguise broccoli, asparagus or Brussel sprouts in some cleverly prepared casserole.
But in 1996 the universality of youngsters' protests became unraveled by the tasty, marble-sized fruit.
In one fell swoop the delicious berry that was never known for its health benefits became the rage of health-conscious Americans.
What happened three years ago may go down in blueberry lore. In November of that year, the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture published an intriguing study showing that of 43 fruits, fruit juices and vegetables, blueberries scored the highest in the level of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Blueberry farmers rejoiced then and they have even more reason to rejoice now. Their cheers continued this week at the Grand Center in Grand Rapids, when hundreds attending the National Blueberry Conference and Exposition vigorously applauded one of the stars of the medical research into blueberries, Dr. James A. Joseph.
Joseph didn't disappoint. The leading neuroscientist at the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Boston's Tufts University outlined recently published research showing blueberries may have even more benefits than first revealed by the landmark 1996 study.
Joseph recapped the scientific back on studies that offers intriguing evidence that blueberries can reverse the loss of balance and coordination and improve short-term aging in the memories of aging rats.
There may be more to come, he hinted. Preliminary work, yet unpublished and unverified, offers a tentative link with blueberries and brain cell regeneration, too. Can all of this happen from the consumption of a handful of blueberries a day? It can and does, many scientists believe.
'I would have to say that the work that came out of the USDA at Tufts is the most exciting thing I have heard in the 52 years I have dealt with blueberries,' said Charles M. 'Mike' Mainland, a former LaPorte native who was first involved in blueberries in 1947 when his dad first started his family's farming operation.
Now a semiretired horticulturist from North Carolina State where he did most of his work, Mainland said the recent research offers convincing evidence of 'how good blueberries are for us.'
How has this news played out in the nation's supermarkets and produce markets? It's been nothing but blue skies. 'I have talked with a number of marketing folks and growers as well. And in every case they say the price of blueberries is better than they expected at the beginning of the year,' Mainland said.
The evidence is hard to refute. Unlike corn and soybean growers who are seeing depressed prices from huge production and stagnant demand, blueberry farmers are experiencing just the opposite.
'We are estimating that the production this year may be the largest crop on record and we have enjoyed very strong demand for blueberries all year long-and very good pricing,' said Mark Depta, director of member relations with MBG Marketing Inc., the industry's marketing arm based in the Grand Junction, Mich.
'That is a little unusual when a crop is that large,' Depta said.
Michigan blueberry farmers know a good thing when they see one. They cashed in on the bonanza by expanding their bearing acres from 15,500 acres in 1993 to over 17,000 acres in 1997, the year a huge statewide crop brought them $53.1 million, according to the latest figures.
Blueberry production in Michigan, the country's largest producer, is forecast to rise this year by 29 percent to 63 million pounds. Over 80 percent of the state's production comes from Van Buren, Ottawa and Allegan counties.
Blueberry production numbers from 1999 are still being compiled, 'but we will see an excess of 300 million pounds in North America,' Depta said.
Frozen blueberries (thawed blueberries hold up exceptionally well) are selling for about 90 cents a pound 'which is very, very good,' he said.
Other signs abound that the blueberry-health connection has caught on with the public. One health magazine called it 'the miracle berry.'
Supermarket sales during summertime promotions were brisk.
'There were a number of times this year when there were deficits in stores,' Depta said. 'Stores were going through supplies of blueberries and were looking for more.'
Depta and others are cautious not to attribute everything to the wave of enthusiasm for blueberries. Sales were strong even before 1996. The Japanese in particular have been importing U.S. and Canadian blueberries with gusto, and some of those imports may be connected with Japanese research that suggests blueberries improve the eyesight of those with macular degeneration.
What is amazing about the story is that before 1996 blueberries were not heralded as having any significant nutritional advantage. The levels of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber were not considered exceptional, Mainland said.
They just tasted good.
The USDA study of 1996 showing blueberries had an unusually high levels of antioxidants that snuff out cancer-causing free radicals was the first in a series of intriguing studies.The Japanese research in macular degeneration focused on people, not rats, who consumed an extract of bilberries and blueberries. 'There was a considerable reduction in the amount of areas that are blotchy in the eye, and their vision improved as a result,' Mainland said.
In the latest study at Tufts, Joseph and his colleagues fed extracts of blueberries, strawberry and spinach to 19-month-old rats. After consuming all three extracts, the rats -- which are equivalent to 65- or 70-year-old humans -- demonstrated improvement in their short-term memories.
Communication in the brain between neurons can sometime becomes more difficult with age due to oxidative stresses in the brain, Joseph said.
'Aging is a matter of a loss of sensitivity in these (brain) receptors,' he said.
Blueberries seemed to improve that sensitivity.
But the blueberry extract did more. The older rats seem to move with improved balance and motor coordination typical of younger rats.
Tests were conducted to measure how long a rat can cling to a suspended rod, how long they can remain on an inclined platform and how long they could walk on a thin, stationary rod.
A year-old rat begins losing its ability to handle all three. By 19 months, the rats loses its balance on the narrow rod in five seconds. After eating the blueberry extract, the rats stayed suspended for an average of 11 seconds.
The prevention of oxidative stresses in the brain may have implications for people with Alzheimer's disease whose neurotransmitters and brain receptors have been damaged by the disease.
Again blueberries are being fed to transgenic mice that show symptoms of Alzheimer's. 'If we get something out of this it is going to be really exciting,' Joseph said.
The blueberry-health connection is another example of medical research that underscores eating fruits and vegetables. 'It's not only blueberries,' Joseph said. 'It's an all-around healthy diet, because I don't know of anything out there that is a magic bullet.'
(c) 1999, South Bend Tribune, Ind. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
