Alternative Health Blog

Every morning James Joseph finds a way to consume at least a half-cup of blueberries. He might eat them with cold cereal or oatmeal, maybe in a smoothie if he is in a hurry to get to his office. As a leading food scientist, Joseph knows that blueberries and other fruits and vegetables with deep pigment is straight and delicious root to better brain health.

Joseph works at the esteemed Tufts University nutrition research center that works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It’s officially called the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts.

What’s more, Joseph might well munch on another four to eight ounces of fresh blueberries as he works on his latest investigations of how the flavonoids or certain plant substances in fruits and vegetables turn on neuron signals to the brain. Joseph, always chipper when the Alternative Health Blog calls, is a pioneering scientists who discovered the deep pigment in produce can have protective effects against cancer and heart disease.

Hence his deep-blue habit of his daily blueberries. Once considered sort of marginally nutritious fruit, at least by most Americans, the blueberry has become a powerhouse of nutrients. Joseph is particularly enthused about how the berry can boost the aging brain.

"What blueberries do is what simply can be called strengthening the brain by taking advantage of the brain's tremendous redundancy," said Joseph. "Blueberries have compounds that boost neuron signals and help turn back on systems in the brain that can lead to using other proteins to help with memory or other cognitive skills."

Eating blueberries and an overall diet rich in deep pigment from fruits and vegetables can preserve the brain machinery, improve vision (dark green kale and spinach are plentiful in the eye-booster lutein) and protect against heart diseases and cancer (the red pigment in tomatoes and watermelon derives from lycopene and has been associated with reducing prostate cancer risk).

Joseph wrote an excellent book, “The Color Code,” to detail how to “redesign” your plate at every meal with brightly colored fruits and veggies. Bottom line: One deep pigment per meal is a bare minimum. If you are looking for optimal health in its most natural form, set a goal of no less than two deep pigments on every breakfast, lunch and dinner plate.

And pass the blueberries.

Bob Condor blogs every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday for Alternative Health Journal.