Blueberries are highly recommended for breast cancer

Blueberries rank among the highest of all fruits and vegetables in the capacity to destroy free radicals. Blueberries contain caffeic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, ferulic acid, gallic acid, kaempferol, myricetin, naringenin, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, pterostilbene, resveratrol, quercetin, and ursolic acid, most of which have been reported to have anti-cancer properties.

Breast cancer-related effects of eating blueberries

Blueberries have been found to inhibit mammary cancer cell proliferation in mice and rats, as well as inhibiting cultured cancer cell growth in the laboratory and blood vessel tumors in rats. Pterostilbene has been shown to inhibit obesity-related breast cancer growth and proliferation in the laboratory and to have additive treatment effects when combined with tamoxifen in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer cells.

Blueberries are a good source of resveratrol, which has been shown to increase the effects of radiation, aromatase inhibitors and the chemotherapy drug Taxol (paclitaxel) against breast cancer.

Additional comments

The antioxidant properties of blueberries have been shown to be reduced when eaten with milk, suggesting that the best way to gain maximum benefits from blueberries and other fruits eaten for their polyphenol content is to consume them either one hour before or two hours after protein is consumed.

Non-organic blueberries must be washed very thoroughly to remove pesticide residue as much as possible.

Bilberries, which grow wild in much of northern Europe, are closely related to blueberries. They are valued for their high flavonoid content.

Tags: Taxol, aromataseActivity, aromataseInhibitors, blueberries, chemotherapy, flavonoids, kaempferol, milk, naringenin, paclitaxel, proanthocyanidins, proliferation, quercetin, radiationTreatment, resveratrol

Selected breast cancer studies
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Inhibition of estrogen-mediated mammary tumorigenesis by blueberry and black raspberry Effects of resveratrol on paclitaxel-sensitive and -resistant triple negative breast cancer cells Ellagic acid, a phenolic compound, exerts anti-angiogenesis effects via VEGFR-2 signaling pathway in breast cancer Influence of Berry-Polyphenols on Receptor Signaling and Cell-Death Pathways: Implications for Breast Cancer Prevention Repression of Mammosphere Formation of Human Breast Cancer Cells by Soy Isoflavone Genistein and Blueberry Polyphenolic Acids Kaempferol protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo and in vitro A combination of resveratrol and melatonin exerts chemopreventive effects in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis Resveratrol enhances the cytotoxic profile of docetaxel and doxorubicin in solid tumour cell lines in vitro Whole Blueberry Powder Modulates the Growth and Metastasis of MDA-MB-231 Triple Negative Breast Tumors in Nude Mice The antiproliferative effects of pterostilbene on breast cancer in vitro are via inhibition of constitutive and leptin-induced Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription activation Induction of apoptotic cell death by ursolic acid through mitochondrial death pathway and extrinsic death receptor pathway in MDA-MB-231 cells Biological activity and chemical composition of different berry juices Pterostilbene and tamoxifen show an additive effect against breast cancer in vitro Resveratrol Prevents Epigenetic Silencing of BRCA-1 by the Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor in Human Breast Cancer Cells Blueberry Phytochemicals Inhibit Growth and Metastatic Potential of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells through Modulation of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathway Identification of Flavonoid and Phenolic Antioxidants in Black Currants, Blueberries, Raspberries, Red Currants, and Cranberries Antioxidant activity of blueberry fruit is impaired by association with milk Effect of select berries on estrogen-induced mammary tissue proliferation Resveratrol Imparts Photoprotection of Normal Cells and Enhances the Efficacy of Radiation Therapy in Cancer Cells Anthocyanin-rich berry extracts and epigallocatechin gallate reduce the enhanced invasiveness of estrogen-negative human breast carcinoma cells elicited by serum Chemopreventive Potential of Wild Lowbush Blueberry Fruits in Multiple Stages of Carcinogenesis Inhibition of Cancer Cell Proliferation in Vitro by Fruit and Berry Extracts and Correlations with Antioxidant Levels Antimutagenic Activity of Berry Extracts Dietary flavonols and flavonol-rich foods intake and the risk of breast cancer Anticarcinogenic Activity of Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry Extracts to Breast and Cervical Cancer Cells