HD Lighthouse Contributing Editor's Comment: Recent discoveries show that anthocyanins (also called anthrocyanins) promote the growth on new brain cells (neurogenesis) in rats. The human equivalent dose is a cup of blueberries a day. To be proactive in your battle against HD is to be Athena with our researchers on your shoulder.

Anthrocyanins are likely to treat HD in humans. Eventually there will be an anthrocyanin pill. Meanwhile anthocyanins are available from a variety of natural sources.

HDL Forum contributor Graham, in London UK, kindly provided the the following. --Jerry
Posted to the HDL: 15 Jun 2003

For those that are interested I found some anthocyanin content figures published by Dr. Willi Kalt, a plant physiologist from the Kentville Agricultural Research Station in Nova Scotia. This seems to back up what An [HDL Forum contributor] found out about bilberries.

Anthocyanin Content in mg per 100g fresh weight
Cranberry	60
Black currant	250
Currant, red	15
Grape, Merlot fruit	120
Raspberry, red	40
Raspberry, black	300
Strawberry	45
Blueberries - wild lowbush	200
Blueberries - highbush	100
Bilberries	450
Partridgeberry/Lingonberry	130
Blackberries	200

Seems to suggest the darker the fruit the higher the concentration.

I've also managed to get my hands on a raw research database which lists 10,000 common foods and their full nutritional composition. I'll need to write some software to collate the information properly but on quick viewing it looks to follow the trends in Dr Kalt's figures.
The Berry Blue
Anthocyanins on the HDL

--Graham, HDL Forum 14, Jun 2003

# # # I found this company who sell blueberry and cherry contentrate gelcaps with a high anthocyanin content. They are US based but will ship worldwide - the anthocyanin pill no less! (well sort of).
Also I found this article which backs up Dr Kalt's figures when comparing the anthocyanin content and the antioxidant properties of blueberries and blackcurrants. Good news for us in Europe where blackcurrants are far easier to find than their blue cousins.
The difference between blueberries and blackcurrants.

--Graham, HDL Forum 15, Jun 2003:

# # #

Source: Graham, London, UK 14 Jun 2003

printer friendly version

 

	Read the HDAC/HDLighthouse Forum. Post your comments