Berry Extract Supports Cardiovascular Health

By CP Staff

A new study has found that supplementation with bilberry extract reduces the development of atherosclerotic plaque in mice. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances forming plaque on the inner lining of blood vessels. Atherosclerosis in the arteries that supply the heart with blood is called coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States.

In this new study, researchers examined the effect of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) extracts on the development of atherosclerotic plaque in mice prone to developing atherosclerosis. The researchers used two different bilberry extracts: one rich in anthocyanins extracted from natural bilberries and another extracted from yeast-fermented bilberries. Each group of mice was supplemented with one of these bilberry extracts or a placebo for 16 weeks. Atherosclerotic plaque was measured after 16 weeks of bilberry supplementation.

The results showed that both bilberry extracts significantly inhibited the development of atherosclerotic plaque in the mice. In fact, the atherosclerotic lesion areas decreased by 15-36 percent compared to the control group. The researchers also found that this reduction in lesion area was not due to the antioxidant properties of bilberries.

Thus, this study indicates that bilberry extracts can reduce the development of atherosclerotic plaque in Apo E-deficient mice.

Reference:

Mauray A, Milenkovic D, Besson C, Caccia N, Morand C, Michel F, Mazur A, Scalbert A, Felgines C. Atheroprotective Effects of Bilberry Extracts in Apo E-Deficient Mice. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Nov 6. Published Online Ahead of Print.