The role of anthocyanins

Anthocyanin is a common plant essence and a trace element widely used in clinical practice. It should be said that anthocyanin is one of the most common health products. Anthocyanin is very helpful in promoting human health. Anthocyanin has the effect of preventing cancer. At the same time, for those who often use their eyes, anthocyanin also has the effect of improving vision.

In fact, the role of anthocyanins is more than that. Anthocyanins have actually been widely used in many fields. So what other health benefits does anthocyanins have besides improving vision?

1. Prevent cancer

Cancer is also caused by free radicals damaging genetic material (DNA). By protecting genetic material, anthocyanosides can indirectly protect us against cancer. Although it is long-term, anthocyanosides do have an indirect protective effect. The free radical scavenging effect of anthocyanosides can also prevent cancer cells from spreading smoothly, thereby protecting more healthy cells from being eroded by cancer cells. On the other hand, some cancers form tumors through substances that dissolve tissues and cells. These cancer cells produce lytic enzymes and proteases, and anthocyanosides can protect proteins from the effects of proteases. For example, the pathogenic mechanism of breast cancer is like this, so taking anthocyanosides can have a good inhibitory effect on the development of breast cancer.

2. Improve vision

Medical clinical reports show that anthocyanins in blueberries can promote the regeneration of rhodopsin in retinal cells, prevent severe myopia and retinal detachment, and improve vision.

Anthocyanins can improve vision in dim light; this is helpful for night driving, people who stare at screens for long periods of time, etc. The reason why anthocyanins are good for the eyes has attracted extensive research by scientists is that during World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots were given a diet containing blueberries before night bombing missions. Studies have shown that anthocyanins in blueberries can accelerate the regeneration of rhodopsin to promote visual acuity, which is a great help for pilots who often need to fly visually and have very strict vision requirements.

Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that can maintain normal cell connections, blood vessel stability, enhance capillary circulation, and improve flow in capillaries and veins. The ripe purple-black berries of blueberries contain more than 15 types of anthocyanins, which can effectively inhibit the enzymes that damage eye cells. This also explains why blueberries are beneficial to eye health.

3. Oral skin cosmetics

Anthocyanins are known as "oral skin cosmetics" in Europe. They can prevent the premature formation of wrinkles on the skin and are currently the most effective antioxidants in nature. It not only prevents the premature formation of skin wrinkles, but also replenishes nutrition and eliminates harmful free radicals in the body. 95% of pure, uncontaminated bilberry extract is a natural substance called anthocyanin. Decades of research have found that anthocyanins have many benefits for human health:

Anthocyanosides are natural sunscreens that protect the skin from UV rays. The skin belongs to connective tissue, and the collagen and elastin it contains play an important role in the overall structure of the skin. Dr. AH Arstilla of Finland found in experiments that the sun can kill 50% of human skin cells. But if protected by anthocyanosides, about 85% of skin cells can survive.

4. Eliminate harmful free radicals in the body

Free radicals are one of the important causes of aging and many diseases. It is estimated that about 80%-90% of aging and degenerative diseases are related to free radicals, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, skin dark spots, cataracts, heart disease and so on. So eliminating harmful free radicals is essential to keeping the body healthy and youthful. There is data confirming that vitamins are oxidized and partially lose their activity before reaching the effective site. Anthocyanins can maintain and enhance the activity of vitamins in the human body and are vitamin synergists. Blueberry anthocyanins are small molecules, water-soluble substances, and oral dosage forms. They are easily and quickly absorbed by the human body and can quickly enter various tissues and organs of the human body 45 minutes after oral administration. Anthocyanins have good bioavailability in the human body, strong affinity for connective tissue, are stable in acidic environments, have a long half-life of up to 27 hours, and have long-lasting efficacy. The safety of blueberries has been tested and confirmed by national authorities. Experiments have shown that even if a person weighing about 70 kilograms takes 35,000 mg of anthocyanins every day for six months, no adverse reactions are found. The ability of anthocyanins to fight free radicals is 50 times stronger than that of vitamin E and 20 times stronger than that of vitamin C.

Anthocyanin is a health product with high health value. Of course, it is precisely for this reason that the application of anthocyanin in clinical practice can be said to be quite extensive. Therefore, in real life, we should use more anthocyanins to better promote physical and mental health in daily life so that we can have a healthier body.