This article contains findings obtained from research on animals:
- The results from animal research studies should not be directly applied to humans and the results may not generalise to the human population.
- There may be significant differences between species in terms of physiology, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as differences in the way diseases and treatments are modelled in animals.
- Any conclusions drawn from animal research should be considered with caution and in the context of other types of research studies such as observational studies, clinical trials, and reviews of the literature.
Insights & Discussion
Blueberry consumption can prevent bone loss and positively impact bone metabolism in ovariectomized rats.
The research involved thirty 6-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats. Some rats were ovariectomized to simulate post-menopausal conditions and then divided into three groups: Sham-operated, control (ovariectomized but no intervention), and a group that was ovariectomized and given a 5% blueberry diet. After being on this diet for 100 days, the effects of the blueberries on bone health were evaluated through the assessment of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and content in the whole body, right tibia, right femur, and fourth lumbar vertebra through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
In terms of the results, the ovariectomy caused a loss of BMD in the whole body, tibia, femora, and lumbar region, whereas the blueberry diet prevented this loss in the whole body. It also somewhat reduced the loss in the tibia and femur. The bone-protective effects of the blueberries were attributed to them suppressing the ovariectomy-induced increase in bone turnover. This was shown by reduced levels of various cellular components linked to bone metabolism in the femoral bone and serum of rats on the blueberry diet, compared to the ovariectomized control group.
Discover Related Insights
Daily consumption of blueberries may decrease blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women due to increased nitric oxide production.
2015 Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Daily Blueberry Consumption Improves Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Postmenopausal Women with Pre- and Stage 1-Hypertension: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Johnson SA, Figueroa A, Navaei N, Wong A, Kalfon R, Ormsbee LT, et al.
Clinical Study Blueberry High Blood Pressure Postmenopausal
The research was an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving forty-eight postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension from the Tallahassee, FL, area. Participants were randomly given either 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder or 22 grams of control powder. Resting blood pressures were evaluated, and arterial stiffness was assessed using pulse wave velocity measurements. In addition, levels of C-reactive protein, nitric oxide, and superoxide dismutase were measured at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the trial.
After 8 weeks, the women in the blueberry powder group showed a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse wave velocity compared to their baseline levels, indicating a reduction in blood pressure and arterial stiffness. In contrast, no changes were observed in the control group. Furthermore, nitric oxide levels were found to be significantly higher in the blueberry group at the end of the trial, suggesting that the observed vascular benefits may be linked to increased nitric oxide production.