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NUTRACEUTICAL BERRIES FOR PROLONGING LIFE SPAN
By Dinna Arifa
Undergraduate Student of Food Science and Technology
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
2013

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The American people are highly concerned on berries since they are a main part of the
everyday diet. According to “Identifying Berry Antioxidants that Help Fight Cancer”, cancer and
cardiovascular disease can be minimized by consuming berries. Berries contain polyphenols
which are good for our health (Giusti, 2013). Most people know that berries are good antioxidant
source; however, just a few people know that berries are also good as a nutraceutical source.
There is a connection between nutraceutical and antioxidant. Nutraceutical fruits, such as berries,
contain much antioxidant which is really good for health and prolong the life span.
The most important compound in an antioxidant is polyphenol. Ellagic acid is the most
common plant polyphenol and is beneficial for anticancer and releasing proliferative during in
vitro and in vivo testing. This acid is found in berries such as cherries, strawberries, and
raspberries. Ellagic acid has substantial role for prolonging life span as it is able to trap
carcinogens and decrease oxidative stress. The rate of tumor incidence can be reduced by
including fruits or vegetables containing 0.4% ellagic acid. Moreover, ellagic acid is not only
beneficial for anticancer, but also for cardiovascular health. According to a book “Functional
Foods and Neutraceuticals,” “rats that did not receive ellagic acid-pretreated rats had reduced
myocardial necrosis with less edema and infarction with an almost normal myocardial
architecture. The undesirable drop in blood pressure that accompanies myocardial infarction was
significantly attenuated by ellagic acid treatment with values that were very similar to normal
rats.” (Aluko, 2012). That is the proof that antioxidant has much benefits to the life spans.
Dr. Stephen DeFelice from Foundation for Innovation in Medicine defines Nutraceuticals
as “Food, or parts of food, that provide medical or health benefits, including the prevention and
treatment of disease”. (Taken from “What are Nutracuticals?”). These days, demand on

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nutraceutical foods are getting higher because most people think that natural food is better. Also,
expensive medical treatment makes people start to consume nutraceutical fruits, vegetables, and
milk as presentative measure for sickness. The health benefits of nutraceuticals are extensive.
As nutraceutical sources, berries can be found easily in a market and we can eat them
every day for reducing disease effect. The United States is highly concerned on the public’s
health as it shown that The United States has spent about $86 billion on at the nutraceutical
industry (What are Nutraceuticals?). Cherry is the richest source for antioxidant complement as
it has vitamin C, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and fiber. More red-purplish means more
antioxidants contained in a cherry. As the source of antioxidant, cherries are really good for
reducing cardiovascular diseases, being anti-inflammatory effects, being anticancer effects, and
being antidiabetic effects. Cherries reduce the cardiovascular disease by releasing cyanide-3-
glycoside. Cyanide-3-glycoside had an important role in reducing cholesterol level, so that it can
lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Second role is being an anti-inflammatory effect by
producing the enzyme called cyclooxigenases. If humans consume 280 grams of cherries in
about a month, there will be a notable decrease at the amount of blood serum which means
reducing of inflammation in our body. Third, cherry is right choice to reduce diabetic effects.
People suffer diabetes because they have bad excretion system, especially glucose system.
However, this case can be diminished by consuming cherries. Anthocyanins and anthocyanidins
in cherries have main role to diminish the counteraction from insulin and glucose intolerance. “
Sweet cherries has a lower glycemic index (22) and is a better fruit snack for diabetic patients
when compared to high glycemic index fruits such as peach (42), plum (39), grapes (46), and
apricot (57),” according to the book “Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals” by Rotimi E. Aluko.

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Other kinds of berries that has good antioxidant is strawberries and raspberries. The most
important benefit that we can get from strawberry is its capability to trap free radicals and
oxidative damage to blood lipids and DNA. Eating strawberry gradually can drive humans to a
healthy life because strawberry will release LDL peroxidation so that the amount of erythrocytes
resistance is getting higher. A-glucosidase and a-amylase, which are produced by strawberry, can
be beneficial enzymes for reducing starch digestion and maintaining blood pressure. Moreover,
raspberry is one of berries which are really good for antioxidant. Raspberry is regarded as a fruit
for reducing breast cancer cells and pancreatic cancer cells because it contains vitamin C which
has significant role on destroying cancer cells.
In conclusion, berries as nutraceutical sources contain antioxidants which are so much
beneficial for prolonging life span. Berries, such as cherries, strawberries, and raspberries are
able to be an anticancer, antiinflammation, antidiabetic, and reducing cardiovascular disease as
they have polyphenols and other compounds that support the life span. Good berries are able to
be seen from their color because their red color is responsible for the antioxidant contained in
that fruit. Keeping the body healthy is not difficult thing to do as long as consuming berries
gradually since they have much antioxidant.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alessio, Helaine, and Eileen Blasi. "Physical Activity as a Natural Antioxidant Booster and its
Effect on a Healthy Life Span." Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. (2013): n.
page. Web. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701367.1997.10608010>.
Aluko, Rotimi. Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. New York: Springer , 2012. Print.
Dolara, Piero, Elisabetta Bigagli, and Andrew Collins. "Antioxidant vitamins and mineral
supplementation, life span expansion and cancer incidence: a critical commentary."
(2012): n. page. Print.
Ristow, M. (2011). Extending life span by increasing oxidative stress. Free Radical Biology &
Medicine, Retrieved from www.elsevier.com/locate/freeradbiomed
Shi, John. Functional Foods Ingredients and Nutraceuticals. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2007.
Print.
What are nutraceuticals?. (National Nutraceutical Center). Retrieved from
http://www.clemson.edu/NNC/what_are_nutra.html