Berries = Antioxidants? No, biology is never that simple

Key research has not supported the notion that berries benefit human health via their antioxidant activity. Instead, evidence suggests that berry components can affect a complex array of processes working at the interface of phytochemistry and animal biology. Berries are not just antioxidants - biology is never that simple. Human health research in berries focuses on polyphenolics and in particular flavonoids. Flavonoids are also of interest in plant foods like dark chocolate, green tea, pomegranate and soy as each of these is rich in one type of flavonoid. Anthocyanins are a predominant flavonoid in berries. Berry extracts can be tested in vitro for bioactivities like antioxidation, anti-inflammation or anti-proliferation, where a user-defined concentration of berry extract is tested. Actual berry ingestion by an animal, however, does not occur. Berry extracts can also be tested in vivo using animals that are genetically similar and held under closely controlled conditions which often include interventions that model stress or disease. Testing berry health benefits in human clinical research presents unique challenges. This is due to the significant genetic and lifestyle variations among subjects, the limited availability of urine and plasma biochemical markers of health effects, and the limited number of clinical models of stress and disease. In addition, human systemic exposure to flavonoids, including berry anthocyanins, in vivo anthocyanin metabolites and breakdown products, is not well understood although this knowledge is needed to correlate health outcomes with berry phytochemicals. In spite of significant challenges in human clinical research, multi-faceted evidence for berry health benefits continues to accumulate. ? Sources BERRIES = ANTIOXIDANTS? NO, BIOLOGY IS NEVER THAT SIMPLEKalt, W1, wilhelmina.kalt@agr.gc.ca1Agriculture & Agrifood Canada, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada IHC 2014, International Horticulture Congress, 17-22 August 2014, Brisbane, http://www.ihc2014.org/The picture is by alternativambiental.blogspot.comKey wordsPoscosecha?? ?postcosecha?? ?postharvest?? ?na-oes?? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ?post-r?colte?? ????? ?? ??????????? ??? ?na-oogst?? ?post-raccolta?? ?Obr?bka po?? ?p?s-colheita?? ????????????????? ?hasat sonras??? ??? ?Ernte?? ????????????????? ????? ????????????? ?postcollita?? ?poskliz?ov頠 ????? ??? ??? ??? ?nakon branja?? ?pozberov頠 ??? ?obdelovanje zemlje po?? ?post-colleita?? ?????? ??????? ?pascapanen?? ??il?onn postharvest?? ??????? ?p?c ra?as?? ?derliaus apdirbimas po?? ?lepas tuai?? ??? ?? ???????? ?post-recoltare?? ??????? ??????? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ?????????????????? ?sau thu ho?ch?? ?????????????????? ?zangemva kwenkathi yokuvuna Bayas?? ??? ?berry berries?? ??? ???????? ????? ?bero?? ?baie?? ???????? ??????? ??? ?bacca?? ?jagoda?? ? ?? ???????? ??? ??????? ?beere?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????