X-Message-Number: 13001
Date: Sat, 25 Dec 1999 13:43:27 -0500
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #12994 Blueberries
References: <>

> Message #12994
> Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1999 11:52:43 -0800 (PST)
> From: Doug Skrecky <>
> Subject: blueberries
> 
> In Message #12984  wrote:
> 
> > Do canned blueberries retain the benefits? Fresh blueberries are not
> > available for most of the year.
> >
> I don't see why not. Fresh blueberries were not used in the rodent
> experiment. Freeze-dried blueberries, that were reduced to a powder were
> used. One might expect drying the blueberries would denature the
> proanthocyanidins.

Technically, only proteins or other highly complex chemicals with
tertiary folding can "denature".
Proanthocyanidins are relatively simple chemicals which can be changed
to other chemical forms by reacting with other chemicals, or maybe
changed to unnatural and possibly less functional sterioscopic forms by
sufficient temperature rise, but they cannot be "denatured".

The major problem with any canned blueberries will be find any that do
not contain a lot of added sugar which has negative life extension
benefit.

> However blueberries also contain sugars, which
> can hydrogen bond and prevent denaturation.

Since proanthocyanidins can not "denature", the bonding of sugars, if it
takes place (which I doubt), would change the proanthocyanidins and
might also make them less functional (a sugar bonded to any nutrient is
generally hard to remove and makes the nutrient much less bioavailable).

-- Paul --

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