Cherries and Blueberries-Based Beverages: Functional Foods with Antidiabetic and Immune Booster Properties

Abstract

Nowadays, it is largely accepted that the daily intake of fruits, vegetables, herbal products and derivatives is an added value in promoting human health, given their capacity to counteract oxidative stress markers and suppress uncontrolled pro-inflammatory responses. Given that, natural-based products seem to be a promising strategy to attenuate, or even mitigate, the development of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, and to boost the immune system. Among fruits, cherries and blueberries are nutrient-dense fruits that have been a target of many studies and interest given their richness in phenolic compounds and notable biological potential. In fact, research has already demonstrated that these fruits can be considered functional foods, and hence, their use in functional beverages, whose popularity is increasing worldwide, is not surprising and seem to be a promising and useful strategy. Therefore, the present review reinforces the idea that cherries and blueberries can be incorporated into new pharmaceutical products, smart foods, functional beverages, and nutraceuticals and be effective in preventing and/or treating diseases mediated by inflammatory mediators, reactive species, and free radicals.

Nanoformulations for the Delivery of Dietary Anthocyanins for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications

“…One or more of the solutions is the use of natural products, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and blood pressure and lipid profile regulation [ 40 ]. In this context, medicinal plants are abundant in many bioactive compounds, including phenolics like anthocyanins, which have already demonstrated promising antioxidant and antidiabetic effects [ 7 , 8 , 10 , 13 ].…”

“…Therefore, there is an increasing need to find and develop new therapeutic agents that are non-toxic, more effective, safer, and less expensive for the treatment of DM. In this context, plants and fruits are emerging as a source of bioactive compounds with biological properties, including antioxidant and antidiabetic activity [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Effect of flaxseed lignan on the dynamics of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and starter cultures in fermented milk

“…The current trend in developing functional foods is to improve the health benefits of commonly consumed foods by adding functional components such as phytochemicals, prebiotics, probiotics, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, etc . The global market for functional foods has grown by 8.5% annually, reaching US$305.4 billion in 2020 (Huang et al., 2019; Gonçalves et al., 2022). The use of fermented milk products has considerably expanded in recent decades, primarily due to their capacity to improve health.…”

Influence of Altitudes and Development Stages on the Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Capacity of the Wild Andean Blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth)

“…Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) have been identified as one of the five healthy foods certified by the International Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) due to their high phenolic compound and nutrient content [ 6 ]. These fruits have been characterized by high concentrations of flavonoids with potential use in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food industries [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…Blueberries have been shown to improve cognitive and memory functions in the elderly [ 16 ], and polyphenol-rich extracts from these berries have neuroprotective potential, increasing the viability rate of human neural progenitor cells and protecting them from stressors [ 17 ]. In addition, the phenolic compounds in blueberries protect against metabolic disorders, reduce hyperglycemia, and act on the gastrointestinal microflora, contributing to the health of the host, which has implications for degenerative diseases and aging [ 6 , 17 ].…”