pilladvised

You know blueberries are good for you.

But blueberries for detoxification? And liver health?

Apparently so, according to a fascinating study from China.

An increasing number of natural substances have been studied to explore if they have protective effects on the liver.

Researchers in China have been looking at the effects of blueberries on liver health and disease.

In a study led by Ming-Liang Cheng, MD, from Guiyang Medical College, the impact of blueberries on liver function in laboratory animals was examined.

The study found that blueberries increased the activity of glutathione-S-transferase in liver homogenates and the expression of Nrf2 compared with the normal group.

Another research paper, from Taiwan, explains: “Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a phase II enzyme that catalyzes the conjugation of glutathione with a variety of electrophilic xenobiotics (toxins) and facilitates their excretion.”

Dr. Cheng and colleagues note: “A central role in the defense against oxidative stress has been attributed to the transcription factor Nrf2… Activation of Nrf2 may be a novel strategy to prevent or ameliorate toxin-induced liver injury…”

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“Increasing fruit consumption is a logical strategy to increase antioxidant intake and reduce oxidative stress.” they add.

The research article was published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

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References:

World Journal of Gastroenterology 2010; 16(21): 2657-2663, “Effects of blueberry on hepatic fibrosis and transcription factor Nrf2 in rats.” Wang YP, Cheng ML, Zhang BF, Mu M, Wu J. Department of Infectious Diseases, Guiyang Medical College, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China.

J Nutr. 2010 May;140(5):885-92. Epub 2010 Mar 17. “Sulforaphane and alpha-lipoic acid upregulate the expression of the pi class of glutathione S-transferase through c-jun and Nrf2 activation.” Lii CK, Liu KL, Cheng YP, Lin AH, Chen HW, Tsai CW. Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan.