Blueberries - "super Food" For The Liver

Blueberries slow the development of liver fibrosis, according to research conducted by Chinese scientists and published in the specialized journal World Journal of Gastroenterology.


As most of the popular medications used to treat liver disease have many unwanted side effects, medicine is increasingly turning to effective and safe natural remedies.


Blueberries, also called "super food", have long proven their beneficial effects and healing effects on the eyes and brain. They also have anti-cancer effects.


Blueberries are among the foods with a proven beneficial effect on health. Blueberry fruits are rich in vitamins, trace elements, minerals, tannins and flavonoids, essential fatty acids - linoleic acid (OMEGA-6), alpha linoleic acid (OMEGA-3), carotenoids and phytosterols. They contain about 6% arbutin, traces of hydroquinone, about 8% catechin tannins, flavonoids quercetin, hyperoside, isoquercetin, ursolic, chlorogenic and caffeic acid, vitamin C.


Blueberries contain a large amount of the substance pterostilbin, which is an natural antioxidant .


Dr. Ming-Liang Cheng and colleagues at Guyang Medical College are conducting a number of studies on the effects of blueberries on some of the most common liver diseases, including fibrosis.


Liver fibrosis is the accumulation of coarse, fibrous connective tissue in the liver.


The formation of fibrous tissue is a normal reaction of the body to damage, but in fibrosis this healing process is confused.


When hepatocytes (functional liver cells) are damaged due to a virus infection, high alcohol consumption, toxins, trauma, or other factors, the immune system is activated to repair the damage.


Hepatocyte damage or death (necrosis) stimulates inflammatory immune cells to secrete cytokines, growth factors and other chemicals. These chemicals provoke supporting liver cells called stellate cells to activate and begin to produce collagen, glycoproteins (such as fibronectin), proteoglycans and other substances. These substances are deposited in the liver, causing the formation of an extracellular matrix (non-functional connective tissue). At the same time, the process of breaking down or breaking down collagen is disrupted.


In a healthy liver, the synthesis (fibrogenesis) and degradation (fibrolysis) of matrix tissue are in balance. Fibrosis occurs when a large amount of damaged tissue builds up faster than it can be broken down and removed by the liver.


It is believed that the development of liver fibrosis is largely due to bacterial or viral infections, as well as damaged vascular walls of the branches of the intrahepatic portal vein.


In an experiment, infectious diseases specialist Dr. Cheng and his team achieved a state of fibrosis after an eight-week diet high in fat and extremely low in protein and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).


After a week of therapy, the researchers found that blueberries help reduce the size of the liver, reduce the level of hyaluronic acid and other harmful substances in the blood serum, and help increase the beneficial components.


The results are evidence that blueberries significantly slow liver fibrosis, the study authors explain. Moreover, in the therapy with herbs, herbs and blueberries and without treatment no similar effect is found.