Eating blueberries may lower risk of liver disease

Updated at: 1222 PST, Sunday, July 04, 2010 LONDON: Consuming blueberries, a food source that contains high levels of antioxidants, may help prevent the development of liver disease, according to findings published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Despite the development of many liver disease medications, researchers have yet to find a prescription that cause numerous side effects. In an effort to discover a natural alternative to lowering the risks of the illness, investigators tested blueberries, since little is known on how the fruit affects liver health. During a recent study, investigators fed blueberries to rats that were genetically altered to suffer from liver fibrosis, a disorder that causes excess scar tissue to build up in the organ. The team then compared these animals to a control group that wasn’t fed the fruit. The results of the study showed that eating blueberries lowered toxin levels in the liver, and improved some side effects caused by the condition. Also, the researchers found that certain nutrients in the fruit increased compound activity level in the organ, which better protected the liver against fibrosis. In addition to preventing liver disease, other studies have found that consuming blueberries also lowers the risks of developing liver cancer. Researchers from the University of Georgia found that the antioxidants and other nutritional compounds in the fruit hindered the growth of cancer cells in the liver.