Abstract
Blueberries are consumed as healthy fruits that provide a variety of benefits to the nervous system. Scientists have found that blueberries can be used as a daily edible source for supplementation to prevent and minimize complexities of age-related diseases as well as to improve learning and memory in children. Anthocyanins are the most mentioned compounds among the components in blueberries, as they play a major role in providing the health benefits of this fruit. However, while they are highly active in impeding biological impairment in neuronal functions, they have poor bioavailability. This review focuses on neurological investigations of blueberries from in vitro cell studies to in vivo studies, including animal and human studies, with respect to their positive outcomes of neuroprotection and intervention in neurodegenerative conditions. Readers will also find information on the bioavailability of anthocyanins and the considerable factors affecting them so that they can make informed decisions regarding the daily consumption of blueberries. In this context, the ways in which blueberries or blueberry supplementation forms are consumed and which of these forms is best for maximizing the health benefits of blueberries should be considered important decision-making factors in the consumption of blueberries; all of these aspects are covered in this review. Finally, we discuss recent technologies that have been employed to improve the bioavailability of blueberry anthocyanins in the development of effective delivery vehicles supporting brain health.
Highlights
It has been well established that a rich diet of fruits and vegetables yields sustainable health benefits and reduces risks of lifestyle-associated health conditions
While mainly providing information on ACNs, concomitantly, the review will present factors affecting the bioavailability of ACNs, choices of BB intake form and recent technologies used to protect ACNs, all to maximize the benefits of BBs in brain health
Many promising outcomes are revealed in support of the benefits of BB interventions in neuroprotection
Summary
It has been well established that a rich diet of fruits and vegetables yields sustainable health benefits and reduces risks of lifestyle-associated health conditions. Scientists have found that the regular intake of polyphenol-rich fruit such as BBs can delay the onset of brain ageing and neurodegenerative disorders due to their strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties [11,12,13]. The consumption of BBs should be part of a daily healthy eating lifestyle In this context, one concern may be raised: in what form should BBs consumed to obtain the best health benefits? The in vivo bioactivity of ACNs has shown controversial results or been explicitly found to not have effects as great as they have been recorded in in vitro tests [24,25,26]. While mainly providing information on ACNs, concomitantly, the review will present factors affecting the bioavailability of ACNs, choices of BB intake form and recent technologies used to protect ACNs, all to maximize the benefits of BBs in brain health
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