Helping, skin, aging and more so “they” say, read more here. Remember SuperFruits will be covered during the Antioxidant Science track, chaired by Dr. Andrew Shao, Vice President - Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition at Nutracon 2010, click here for track sessions and details.

Thought this might be of interest, the super power of the plum. Now what I wonder is does it matter if the fruit is organic at all? Would pesticides in anyway compromise and counter act the fruits natural properties? US: Plums beat blueberries in nutritional value

Move over blueberries: scientists have found that plums have high levels of disease-fighting nutrients, too.

Investigators at Texas AgriLife Research evaluated the nutritional content and associated health benefits of more than 100 varieties of plums, nectarines, and peaches. The plum emerged superior to the other two stone fruits, and also matched or exceeded blueberries in nutritional value. Blueberries versus plums

Much press has been given to the high antioxidant and phytonutrient content of blueberries. These tiny fruits, for example, have been credited with promoting urinary tract health and reducing the risk of infection by preventing bacteria from accumulating in the walls of the urinary tract. They also contain phytonutrients that have cancer-fighting abilities.

Scientists now say that plums offer similar or superior benefits. To arrive at this conclusion, the scientists evaluated at least five brands of blueberries and compared them with the content of more than 100 different types of plums, nectarines, and peaches.

They found that all the fruits had high levels of antioxidants. The next step was to test the compounds to see how potent they were. They chose to evaluate the impact of the antioxidants on breast cancer cells and cholesterol.

One of the findings was that the phytonutrients in plums inhibited the growth of breast cancer without having a negative impact on normal cell growth. The researchers note that much further study is needed to identify all the benefits of plums. They believe the information will help plant breeders produce new varieties that have the best ratio of phytonutrients, and that their extracts will be available for dietary supplements.

Other benefits of plums

Plums are a source of unique phytonutrients called chloregenic acid and neochlorogenic, which are capable of destroying a very damaging free radical called superoxide anion radical. These phytonutrients also help prevent damage to beneficial fats that protect brain cells and that make up cell membranes.

Plums are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and two pigments—lutein and zeaxanthin–that are especially helpful for protecting vision and preventing macular degeneration. Plums are also a better economic value than blueberries. One relatively inexpensive plum has about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of more costly blueberries.

The bottom line is that everyone is encouraged to eat at least three servings of fruit each day, and to include high-antioxidant selections, such as plums and blueberries. [end of article]

Sabinsa Corporation received Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for its branded superfruit ingredient Saberry™ – Emblica officinalis Gaertn., after a comprehensive review of safety and toxicology data by an independent panel of scientists with international repute assembled by Soni & Associates, Inc. To read more click here.