French researchers find that a fermented bilberry extract prevents hardening of blood vessels in a lab model of atherosclerosis.
In that previous studies have demonstrated that the intake of berry foods was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, Aurelie Mauray, from Institut National de la Research Agronomique (France), and colleagues evaluated the effects of bilberry, an anthocyanin-rich berry closely related to the North American blueberry. Using a lab animal model of atherosclerosis, the researchers found that 16 weeks of administered bilberry extract significantly inhibited the development of plaques associated with atherosclerosis. Animals fed the yeast-fermented bilberry-extract showed a 25% higher reduction of the lesion area (as compared to the untreated controls).
