Wild Blueberry Newsletter

February 2009

Wild Blueberry Spring Meetings

Two re-certification credits will be available for licensed pesticide applicators.

Cooperative Extension Offers Help in Exploring Value-Added Blueberry Opportunities in DownEast Maine
Are you interested in turning your blueberries into value-added food products?  Are you considering making blueberry jam, syrup or wine?  Are you wondering what’s involved in starting a value-added enterprise?  If you would like to learn more about starting a value-added food enterprise, Cooperative Extension faculty will meet one-on-one with interested growers for an hour to explore the various issues involved in starting a new value-added blueberry enterprise.  Space is limited to 6 appointments per day, so don’t wait - make your appointment today. 

For Washington County, appointments will be Monday, February 16th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Call 800.287.1542 or email lbassano@umext.maine.edu to schedule an appointment.  For Hancock County, appointments will be Wednesday, February 25th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Call 800.287.1479 or email Sbaez@umext.maine.edu to schedule an appointment.

“Recipe to Market Series” Workshops will be offered in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties
"Recipe to Market" is a series of workshops for those interested in starting a specialty food or value-added business and will be offered in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties. Jim McConnon, Business and Economics Specialist, and Beth Calder, Food Scientist Specialist, will contribute to the sessions as will local business owners, tax, legal, and other professionals.  Sessions will be held each Wednesday evening in April from 6 to 9 p.m.  Enrollment will be capped at 15 so individuals have time to get their questions answered.  The cost of the session is $25. To get more information or to enroll, contact Tori Jackson at 1-800-287-1458 or by email tjackson@umext.maine.edu.

Are Anti-Inflammatories the New Antioxidants? Susan B. Davis, Nutrition advisor and spokesperson or WBANA
A process that is as important if not more important than oxidation for health is inflammation. Most of us are familiar with our body’s response to infection or injury.  That’s acute inflammation and it’s characterized by the redness, heat, swelling, and pain that are the normal response of the immune system. Immune cells collect at the site so that they can overwhelm and dispose of infectious organisms or debris from injury, thus healing takes place.  But there’s another kind of inflammation a low-grade, chronic, and “systemic.”  Chronic inflammation is linked to the most feared diseases of aging like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and arthritis. And unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation may not have any symptoms.  Examples of conditions that cause chronic inflammation includes gum disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol build up in arteries, smoking, inactivity and stress.  Inflammation also damages nerve cells in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims and contributes to the proliferation of abnormal cells and facilitates their transformation into cancer.

Protection from inflammation by compounds in the diet is very complex and not well understood.  Some of the mechanisms that have been identified include interfering with the development of inflammatory compounds at the genetic level. Indeed, Jim Joseph Ph.D., has determined that compounds in blueberries have just that effect in the brain in animal models.

The typical western diet, high in refined carbohydrates, fats, sugars and calories actually contributes to inflammation while a diet higher in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and omega 3 fatty acids (salmon etc.) is anti-inflammatory.  Vitamins, minerals, as well as plant compounds have both antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Wild Blueberries contain flavonoids such as anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins that have been shown to contribute to protective effects.  Now we know that Wild Blueberries have benefits beyond their high antioxidant properties.  Fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of healthy eating as they are for an “anti-inflammatory diet”, and blueberries, particularly Wild Blueberries, are leaders in the fruit category.

This and more health information are available on the WBANA website at: http://www.wildblueberries.com/

Sincerely,

David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist

return to newsletters