North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Richard Moyer <ramoyer@gmail.com>]

Max wrote:

>I'm a blueberry grower. About 20 years ago, the large blueberry growers
>decided to "tax" themselves a small percent of every pound sold for research
>and development. They paid several researchers to find something wonderful
>about blueberries, and several did (of course). These were published in
>scientific journals, and then millions of dollars were spent to get the news
>into every possible outlet. And now we all know that blueberries have
>antioxidants, and hundreds of people show up at my farm to pick because
>they've been told that blueberries will add years to their lives.

>I'm sure that blueberries are good for you, and we should eat more fresh
>fruit; but this process was not the finding of some independent, altruistic
>researcher; it was a very expensive, high-tech advertising ploy to rescue an
>overproductive agricultural industry from price collapse. It worked, by the
>way. And most of the research that you see every day is part of the same
>process. Someone has an agenda.

 

Max,

As a scientist (PhD Biochemist) and fruit grower, some comments on yours above:

I come from a family of fruit growers, a love thankfully being passed to my children.  For sabbatical research, in 1999 I chose to survey the antioxidant levels of a number of small fruits (berries).  I contacted research leaders in this area, arranging to work for them during my sabbatical year.  I came with my own funding, from my college, no strings attached.  The research university supplied the lab space, plant materials, and lab supplies.

 

The consensus of epidemiological studies is that people who regularly consume fruits and vegetables have lower risks of the major diseases of developed countries.  Curious minds want to know what compounds in these foods confer such benefits.

 

We surveyed over 100 cultivars of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, black currants and gooseberries.  The winners for total antioxidants were black raspberries, followed by small-fruited blueberries.  The winner in total phenolics (plant compounds) were the black currants.   At no time during the research design, implementation or writing did I have pressure on what I did or how it was reported.  One of the papers published from that work was recently recognized as a 'most-cited' paper in the field of dietary antioxidants.

 

There have been two international "Human Berry Health Benefit" conferences, each attended by hundreds interested in these topics, incuding the press and industry representatives.  I attended the first, and heard multiple presentations on blueberry research.  The results were not synonymous, but were as a body, impressive.  When a researcher says "I've been studying neurodegenerative disease in rodents for 30 years, and nothing comes close the to preventative and restorative powers of modest amounts of blueberries in the diet", we in the audience wanted to know how this effects him personally.  He eats 1/2-1 cup of blueberries per day, all year.  Most, if not all of his research is federally funded.

 

Other berries have some of the same or similar compounds as blueberries, but some (like black raspberries) are extremely difficult to produce in quantity.  Blueberries are superior to most other small fruits in their longevity, resistance to damage while picking and their storage ability whether refrigerated or frozen.  So I'm glad that folks have gotten the message that a whole food such as your blueberries are good for them, and that they are willing to pay a grower direct for your product, instead of pennies on the dollar for some processed 'wonder' berry extract.  Or worse yet, transmogrified corn and soybeans.

 

Here's some research for you and other blueberry growers to fund, anonymously :)  Turns out that we humans absorb most dietary antioxidants very poorly (Vit C a notable exception).  So either these antioxidant compounds in berries act in other positive ways in very low amounts in our bodies, or other compounds along for the ride do the same.  Since whole foods have thousands of compounds, it's difficult to know with certainty which compounds, in which combinations, confer the multiple health benefits.

 

But as someone transitioning to part time teaching and a full time market grower, I'm glad that whole fruits, either fresh or minimally processed, have such benefits.  And that such benefits of complex foods can't be reduced to vitamins pills.  If you think all or most such research is tainted, look into the recent consensus on the inability of most vitamin supplements to lessen certain human diseases.  Or the efficacy and safety of drug-coated stents.

 

I know of multiple examples, personal and otherwise, where researchers have reported data that was less exciting, even disappointing from their initial hypothesis.  This happens in fruit research as well.

 

A few random points:

In my research, I found rabbiteye blueberries superior to highbush types, in antioxidant levels.  Some other studies found the same.  If you're a blueberry grower uncomfortable with agenda-driven research, consider using a portion of your profits to support berry marketing in general. 

 

During another meeting I attended of berry researchers, growers, processors and marketers, a consensus was reached that trying to promote one berry over another risks confusing consumers; we all are better off promoting increased consumption of fresh and whole-processed fruits.  Better for growers and better for consumers.

 

If you've not done so already, attend NAFEX and SFF meetings.  Talk with the fruit researchers there.  I've found the vast majority of them are not interested in fame and fortune.  If those were their goals, they'd be doing something else.  If you are concerned whether their research is agenda driven, raise the issue privately or by Email.  In most cases they'd be glad to answer.

 

Human health research with whole foods such as berries is SOOO much easier than plant extracts, semisynthetic or synthesized chemicals.  Ask Ethan Natelson about this at the next NAFEX or SFF meeting.  I'm glad berry growers are able to fund pilot projects or small portions of larger research grants.  The human cancer treatment trials being done at Ohio State (Gary Stoner) with freeze dried black raspberry products is worth following.  This is helping support berry growers in Ohio.

 

Richard Moyer

Castlewood, VA