Herbal Bilberry Protects Us Against Diseases Associated with Oxidative Stress

By Kyle J. Norton


Oxidative stress occurs when the ratio of the levels of free radicals and antioxidants is imbalanced. In other words, oxidative stress is a result caused by either overexpression of free radicals or depletion of antioxidant enzymes produced by the host.

Free radicals are an unstable atom with a lone electron in the outer ring. Therefore, in order to become stable, free radicals must steal or donate an electron from other stable atoms, leading to a chain reaction which is highly reactive that can be stopped until all single electron is paired or inhibited by antioxidants.

Antioxidants are stable atoms which inhibit oxidation.

Free radical exists in and outside our body.  Externally, the air we breathe, the food we eat and environmental toxins and internally, the cell's metabolism, all contribute to the production of free radicals.

On the other hand, antioxidants can either be produced by the body internally or induced by the consumption of antioxidant-rich externally.

Under normal condition, in a healthy individual, the production of antioxidant enzymes by the body is more than enough to counter the levels of free radicals in the body.  However, for people with a weakened immune system or immature immune system, intake of dietary sources of antioxidant-rich foods may be necessary.

Maintaining the healthy levels of antioxidant in the body is the best way to prevent diseases associated with oxidative stress, including atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetics, rheumatoid arthritis.

Bilberry is a species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium, belonging to the family Ericaceae, native to Northern Europe.

The plant berry has been used as herbs in traditional medicine for the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea, gastritis, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, ulcerative colitis, anemia, cystitis, kidney disease, and psoriasis, diabetes, etc.

In the urgency to discover a bioactive compound for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress, researchers examined the anti-adipogenic effect of the polyphenol-rich extract obtained from chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot, raspberry Rubus idaeus L., bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus L., and cranberry Vacciniummacrocarpon Aiton fruits.

According to the tested assays, treatment with the extract (25-100 μg/mL) significantly decreased lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species generation in adipocytes without showing cytotoxicity. 

The extract at a concentration of 100 μg/mL suppressed adipogenesis and lipogenesis by inhibiting the receptors involved gene expression.

Moreover, the extract also exerted the anti-adipogenic effect by a significant increase in the expression of adiponectin (4.4-fold) and decreased leptin expression (90%) made by adipose cells. 

In the study to investigate the antihyperglycemic effects of four extracts obtained from leaves and fruits of Vaccinium myrtillus and Vacciniumcorymbosum in diabetic rats randomly divided into seven equal groups: NC-normal control, DC-diabetic control, PC-positive control treated with metformin, VML-received V. myrtillus leaf extract, VMLF-received VML and fruit extract, VCL-received V. corymbosum leaf extract, and VCLF-received VCL and fruit extract, researchers found that according to the Body weight and glucose levels monitored every second week and after 8 weeks of treatment, serum glucose, insulin, and malondialdehyde measurement

* VML treated group showed no significant decrease in weight compared to a decrease in body weight in all diabetic groups in the first weeks.

* VML, VMLF, and VCLF groups demonstrated a decrease in blood glucose levels compared to the increase in the DC, PC, and VCL groups.

* Additionally, serum insulin and glucose levels at the end of the experiment were lower in VML, VMLF, and VCLF groups compared to other unimproved groups.

* More importantly, V. myrtillus extracts prevented the development of cataract compared with the DC group (P < .05).

The findings suggested that bilberry processes antioxidative stress activity against the onset of obesity and retinal degenerative disease.

Taken altogether, bilberry processed abundantly bioactive compounds may be considered a functioning remedy for the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress, pending to the validation of larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Inhibitory activity of chokeberry, bilberry, raspberry and cranberry polyphenol-rich extract towards adipogenesis and oxidative stress in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipose cells by Kowalska K1, Olejnik A1, Szwajgier D2, Olkowicz M. (PubMed)
(2) Vaccinium Extracts as Modulators in Experimental Type 1 Diabetes by Ştefănescu Braic R1, Vari C2, Imre S3, Huţanu A4, Fogarasi E5, Todea T6, Groşan A2, Eşianu S1, Laczkó-Zöld E1, Dogaru M. (PubMed)