Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Anthocyanins are the powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols that give some fruits and vegetables their red, blue, or purple color. A recent study suggests that eating anthocyanin-rich blackcurrants from New Zealand improves alertness and reduces mental fatigue.

New Zealand blackcurrants have notably higher levels of antioxidants when compared with those from Europe. A previous study showed that they contain an average of 570 mg of anthocyanin content and that a variety grown in the countryside called Ben Ard has more than 700 mg. European blackcurrants have an average of 250-500 mg.

Participants in the study included 35 healthy young adults who were given a 70 minute computerized test that was purposely designed to cause stress and metnal fatigue. Participants who took the blackcurrant extract demonstrated higher accuracy without slowing down, higher levels of alertness, and less mental-fatigue at the conclusion of the trial compared to those who took a placebo.

Researchers from Plant & Food research in New Zealand conducted this preliminary study. It has not yet been published and the researchers stated that further investigation needs to be undertaken to determine the exact compounds in blackcurrants responsible for this effect.

Previous studies have shown that anthocyanins protect the body from damage by free radicals, which may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Anthocyanins can be found in red, blue, or purple fruits and vegetables. Blueberries, cranberries and acai have particularly high levels.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A recent animal study suggests that eating polyphenol-rich grapes may alleviate some of the negative effects of metabolic syndrome, particularly the damage that it can cause to the liver and abdominal fat tissue.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as having at least three of the following risk factors: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. It is on the rise in the US and puts people at higher risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes.

The researchers fed obesity-prone rats either a blend of red, green, and black grapes in a freeze-dried powder or a control for 90 days. They found that the grape blend resulted in lower inflammation throughout the body and lower liver, kidney, and abdominal fat weight when compared with the control.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System conducted the study. It was presented at the 2013 Experimental Biology conference in Boston that took place the week of April 20, 2013.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body that cause damage to cells and DNA. Previous studies have linked polyphenol intake with a variety of health benefits, including helping with weight management, fighting certain cancers, and reducing inflammation.

Polyphenols can be found naturally in many foods, including honey, a variety of fruits and vegetables, red wine, chocolate, tea, certain oils and a many types of grain.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Researchers have found that high black tea consumption is associated with lower levels of diabetes. Countries with high black tea consumption have one quarter less instances of diabetes, compared to countries with low black tea consumption.

The researchers examined sales data from the World Tea Consumption Survey conducted by Euromonitor in 2009 to rank 50 countries based on black tea consumption. They then used the World Heath Survey to compile data regarding incidences of cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease, infectious disease, and cardiovascular disease in these countries.

Statistical models were used to determine if a correlation existed between black tea consumption and any of the five diseases. Diabetes was the sole ailment found to be linked to black tea consumption.

The researchers believe that components of black tea have a positive effect on glucose metabolism. They advise further studies be conducted to identify the components that provide this effect.

The study was performed by researchers at Data Mining International and Unilever. It was published on November 8, 2012, in BMJ Open.

Tea has a high level of strong antioxidants called polyphenols. These compounds protect our cells from dangerous free radicals. In fact, an earlier study found that the cells of regular tea drinkers actually have a younger biological age than non-tea drinkers.

Polyphenols have been shown to promote weight loss, improve heart health, aid in digestion and decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have shown that tea brewed at home contains higher levels of polyphenols than tea purchased in a bottle. Additionally, packaged teas tend to contain preservatives, sugar and other ingredients that may neutralize the health benefits of tea.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

When LDL (bad) cholesterol becomes oxidized, it can produce inflammation in the arteries that supply blood to your organs and other tissues. This can lead to atherosclerosis and also increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

The oxidation of LDL cholesterol occurs when the LDL cholesterol particles in your body react with free radicals. A new study suggests that eating an apple a day may lower oxidized LDL cholesterol levels by 40%.

The study included 51 healthy adults. Over the course of four weeks, 16 of them ate a Red or Golden Delicious apple, 17 consumed a supplement containing 194 milligrams of apple polyphenols, and 18 consumed a placebo.

At the conclusion of the study, both the apple and the apple polyphenol supplement groups showed significantly lower levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol, but the effects were more pronounced in the apple group.

The researchers are unsure of why eating apples had a greater effect than the supplement, but they hypothesize that it could be one of three reasons:

1. Apples may contain something else with LDL fighting properties besides polyphenols

2. Whole apples allow for greater absorption of polyphenols than extracts

3. The polyphenols in the capsule came from several apple varieties and so were slightly different from those in the apples

The researchers for this study were based at Ohio State University. It was published online ahead of print on September 29, 2012, in the Journal of Functional Foods.

Apples are also high in a soluble fiber called pectin, which has been shown in other studies to block cholesterol absorption in the gut. Apple skins are also high in powerful plant antioxidants called polyphenols that prevent cellular damage by free radicals.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Drinking non-alcoholic red wine daily may reduce the risk of heart disease by 14% and stroke by 20% by lowering blood pressure, according to recent research. These results were significantly better than those seen when alcoholic red wine was consumed.

The researchers believe that alcohol weakens wine’s blood pressure lowering capabilities because it can cause blood vessels and arteries to tighten and close. However, the polyphenols that are the beneficial element in wine are still present in dealcoholized wine.

67 men with diagnoses of diabetes or with three or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease participated in the study. The participants were given 10 oz of alcoholic red wine, 10 oz of dealcoholized red wine, or 3 oz of gin daily for 4 weeks. All of the participants tried each drink intervention.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted that gin had no effect on blood pressure and alcoholic wine had a limited effect. However, non-alcoholic red wine resulted in a 6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) and a 2 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a reading).

They also found that the dealcoholized red wine increased participants’ nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax and allows more blood to reach the heart and other organs, which helps lower blood pressure.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona and Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain. It was published online ahead of print on September 6, 2012, in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation Research.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body that can lead to many common diseases. Previous studies have linked polyphenol intake with a variety of health benefits, including helping with weight management, fighting certain cancers, and reducing inflammation.

Polyphenols can be found naturally in many foods, including honey, a variety of fruits and vegetables, red wine, chocolate, tea, certain oils and a many types of grain. A healthy and balanced diet can help ensure you consume an adequate amount of polyphenols.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

The idiom “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” now has more scientific support. A recent study suggests that eating dried apples may noticeably reduce total and LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol in postmenopausal women.

One hundred sixty postmenopausal women consumed either 2.7 ounces of dried apples or the same amount of dried prunes over the course of one year. The researchers took blood samples at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.

After 3 months, they found that the apple group showed a 9% reduction in total cholesterol and a 16% reduction in LDL cholesterol. At 6 months, total cholesterol was 13% lower and LDL cholesterol was 24% lower than at the onset of the study.

The results for the prune group (3.5% lower total cholesterol and 8% lower LDL cholesterol after one year) were not statistically significant.

The study was conducted by researchers at Florida State University and was published online ahead of print on July 19, 2012, in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The researchers believe that the beneficial effects seen here were the result of the high anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties of dried apples. Apples skins are rich in polyphenols, an antioxidant that prevents cellular damage by free radicals. Previous studies have shown polyphenols to have anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Dried apples can be easily added to your daily diet. Just grab a bag of organic dried apples at your local health food store and carry it with you throughout the day. Instead of reaching for chips when you get hungry, go right for this antioxidant-rich snack.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

A cup of black tea (or three) could protect your heart by reducing levels of LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and increasing HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol), according to new research published in the May 2012 issue of Preventative Medicine.

The University of Mauritius based researchers conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial that included 87 people. All of the participants were between the ages of 25 and 60.

Over the course of 12 weeks, half of the group consumed a placebo of 3 cups of hot water daily and half of the group consumed 3 cups of black tea daily.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted a 36% decrease in triglyceride levels, a 17% improvement in the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol, and an 18.4% decrease in fasting blood sugar levels in the tea group. No changes were noted in the placebo group.

The researchers believe that the positive effects noted here are a result of the high phenolic antioxidant levels found in tea. They theorize that the tea phenolics protect cells and tissues in the digestive system from oxidative damage by scavenging free radicals.

Phenolics have been linked in previous studies with aid in digestion, lower risk of neurodegenerative disease and promoting weight loss. Studies have also shown that tea brewed at home contains higher levels of phenolics than tea purchased in a bottle. Additionally, packaged teas tend to contain preservatives, sugar and other ingredients that may neutralize the health benefits of tea.

Emma McGowan NatureCity author & contributor

Losing cognitive function can be a scary part of aging, but there are natural interventions you can take to improve your memory as you get older. The latest study on this front suggests that the polyphenols found in Concord grape juice could noticeably help memory and mental functioning in mature adults.

The researchers who conducted the study were based at the University of Cincinnati and Welch Foods. Their findings were published on April 2, 2012, in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Study participants included 21 individuals with an average age of 76, all of whom had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. For 16 weeks, the participants consumed either a placebo or a glass of Concord grape juice with the amount adjusted for their body weight.

The researchers found that the intervention group performed better on memory tasks at the conclusion of the study, when compared with the placebo group and when compared with the results of their own tests at the beginning of the trial.

The researchers also noted more activity in the anterior and posterior of the brain in the intervention group when they conducted MRIs, suggesting increased blood flow.

Be aware that grape juice has a high sugar content – an 8 oz glass has 36 grams of sugar, while an 8 oz glass of Coca-Cola has 26 grams.

Previous studies have linked polyphenol intake with a variety of health benefits, including helping with weight management, fighting certain cancers, and reducing inflammation. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body that can lead to many common diseases.

Polyphenols can be found naturally in many foods, including honey, a variety of fruits and vegetables, red wine, chocolate, tea, certain oils and a many types of grain. A healthy and balanced diet can help ensure you consume an adequate amount of polyphenols.

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

Green tea is enjoyed by more people worldwide than any other beverage, and a recent study suggests that drinking green tea could help reduce your risk of “age related functional disability.” Age related functional disability describes the difficulty that some people have completing daily activities, ranging from doing housework to simpler tasks such as bathing.

The study was conducted by Japanese researchers at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and was published on January 25, 2012, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Participants included 13,988 Japanese individuals over the age of 65. For three years the researchers examined their green tea drinking habits and placed the participants in five groups: those who never drank green tea, those who occasionally drank green tea, those who drank 1-2 cups per day, 3-4 cups per day, or more than 5 cups per day.

They found that the participants who drank at least 5 cups daily were associated with the lowest levels of functional disability, with only 7.1% suffering from this affliction. In comparison, 8% of the participants who drank 3-4 cups, 11% who drank 1-2 cups, and 13.3% who drank less than one cup daily were functionally disabled.

This study adds to an already impressive body of science backing the various health benefits of green tea. These benefits are usually attributed to the high level of powerful antioxidants found in green tea called polyphenols, which have been shown to promote weight loss, improve heart health, aid in digestion and decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Scott Greenberg, NatureCity author & contributor

Tea is the second most popular drink in the world, surpassed only by water, and it has been associated with a number of health benefits. Now, for the first time, a study has found a direct link between black tea consumption and lower blood pressure.

This study comes from researchers at The University of Western Australia and was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on January 23, 2012.

Participants in the study included 95 Australians between the ages of 35 and 75. For six months, half of the group consumed 3 cups of caffeinated black tea daily while the other half drank a caffeinated placebo not derived from tea but with the same flavor.

At the end of the 6 month study, the tea group showed lower 24 hour ambulatory systolic (top measurement) and diastolic (bottom measurement) blood pressure of between 2 and 3 mmHg when compared to the placebo group. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring measures blood pressure at regular intervals, including during sleep.

The researchers cautioned that more research needs to be done to determine the exact effect of tea on blood pressure but say their study shows a link between black tea and a major risk factor for heart disease..

Tea has a high level of strong antioxidants called polyphenols. These compounds protect our cells from dangerous free radicals and a previous study even found that the cells of regular tea drinkers actually have a younger biological age than non tea drinkers.

Polyphenols have been shown to promote weight loss, improve heart health, aid in digestion and decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have shown that tea brewed at home contains higher levels of polyphenols than tea purchased in a bottle. Additionally, packaged teas tend to contain preservatives, sugar and other ingredients that may neutralize the health benefits of tea.