Physical Wellness

Compounds in Grapes, Blueberries May Boost Immune Function

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Sep 17, 2013 07:53 PM EDT

Red grapes and blueberries may help keep the body healthy and ready to fight infections, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed 446 compounds for their ability to boost inmate immune system, and found two compounds that stood out from the crowd: resveratrol in red grapes and pterostilbene from blueberries.

Researchers explain that these compounds called stilbenoids work in synergy with vitamin D and have a significant impact raising the expression of the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP gene, that is involved in immune function.

Researchers say the latest findings, which were made in laboratory cell cultures, do not prove that similar results would occur as a result of dietary intake, researchers noted.

"Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out," Adrian Gombart, an LPI principal investigator and associate professor in the Oregon State University College of Science, said in a news release. "Their synergy with vitamin D to increase CAMP gene expression was significant and intriguing. It's a pretty interesting interaction."

Previous studies have linked resveratrol to a ton a health benefits including cardiovascular health to fighting cancer and reducing inflammation.  However, the latest research is the first to show a clear synergy with vitamin D and increased AMP expression by several times

The CAMP gene has been found to play an important role in the "innate" immune system or the body's first line of defense and the ability to combat bacterial infection. While the latest study revealed a strong link between adequate vitamin D levels and the function of the CAMP gene, new research reveals that certain other compounds may play a role as well.

Researchers said that stilbenoids are plant-produced compounds that help fight infections and male vitamin D more efficient in the body. Researchers explain that studies revealed that combining these compounds with vitamin D showed significantly more biological impact than any of them would separately.

Additional studies could lead to a greater understanding of how diet and nutrition affect immune function, as well as lead to the development of therapeutically useful natural compounds that could boost the innate immune response.

The findings are published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research

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