Chances are that you love blueberries, and incorporate them into your diet in many ways, ranging from fresh blueberries mixed with oatmeal to blueberry muffins and even blueberry pancakes. But did you know that blueberries are also awesomely healthy for our canine companions?
Study Findings Support the Benefits of Blueberries
A 2014 study out of North Carolina and published in the journal Nutrition Research found that sedentary men and women who consumed 38 grams of blueberry powder daily (the equivalent of 250 grams of fresh fruit) for six weeks showed a significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure (that’s the bottom number) than those who were given a placebo.
The same study showed that the people who consumed the blueberry powder had a significant increase in natural killer (NK) cells. This is extremely important, because as discussed in a 2003 study titled Natural Killer Cells and Cancer published in the journal Advanced Cancer Research, NK cells are lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells) that are able to kill tumor cells and that also play a critical role in the control of tumor growth and metastasis and that protect against infection with certain viruses.
The North Carolina Study Supports Previous Research
The recent results of the North Carolina study continue to confirm the amazing health benefits of blueberries. The same researchers had also previously found that healthy marathon runners who consumed 250 grams of blueberries daily for six weeks doubled their NK cell counts. And, in Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health, Dr. Jean Dodds and I cited previous animal studies concluding that blueberries contain powerful anti-tumor and anti-metastasis activity and that they alter the expression of genes involved in inflammation and cancer.
Why Blueberries for Dogs?
At first glance, it might not seem like cancer and cardiovascular disease have much in common, but the authors of the North Carolina study point out that oxidative stress is a common link among diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation and aging. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines oxidative stress as: “physiological stress on the body that is caused by the cumulative damage done by free radicals inadequately neutralized by antioxidants and that is held to be associated with aging.” Anthocyanin, the pigment that is responsible for giving blueberries their beautiful deep color, are widely recognized as powerful antioxidant compounds that fight free radical damage and combat oxidative stress.
In addition to anthocyanin, blueberries contain pterostilbene, a derivative of resveratrol (found in grapes, which dogs cannot eat). Pterostilbene is a powerful dog-approved source of antioxidants with potent cancer-fighting properties.
The potent antioxidant ability of blueberries may be responsible, at least in part, for their amazing health benefits. So, the next time your dog gives you that wide-eyed begging-for-food look, why not toss him a few blueberries? He’ll love them – even if they are good for him!