Conventional drugs used in the treatment of liver diseases inevitably have side effects. An increasing number of natural substances have been studied to explore if they have protective effects on the liver. Blueberries have unique effects on human retinal, brain, and tumor cells, but reports about the effects of blueberries on liver diseases are lacking.
A research article published on June 7, 2010, in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, investigators led by Ming-Liang Cheng, M.D., from the department of infectious diseases, Guiyang Medical College (Guiyang, China), addresses this question. Their study revealed that blueberries could reduce liver indices, serum levels of hyaluronic acid and alanine aminotransferase, and increase levels of superoxide dismutase and decrease levels of malondialdehyde in liver homogenates compared with the model group.
Meanwhile, the stage of hepatic fibrosis was considerably weakened. Blueberries increased the activity of glutathione-S-transferase in liver homogenates and the expression of Nrf2 and Nqo1 compared with the normal group, but there was no significant difference compared with the model group.
The investigators conclusions suggest that blueberry consumption is beneficial for hepatic diseases (including fibrosis).
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