![\"a](\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/alaskan-nativies-phhi-kannapolis-1024x576.jpg\")
\u201cWe found that they adapted very well in the lab,\u201d says Lila. \u201cMost of them were really intrigued by the opportunities that are available in North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Climate Change and Alaskan Bog Blueberries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLila\u2019s work in Alaska began over 20 years ago with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called \u201cAlaska Native Resources Under the Cloud of Climate Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they studied a wide range of native plants, Lila and her colleague, Kriya Dunlap<\/a>, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, were particularly interested in bog blueberries, which are known to provide many health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"an](\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/FBNS_bogblueberries_Alaska_abundant_072922-1024x576.png\")
Alaskan bog blueberries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we’re showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don’t have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Mary](\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/FBNS_Lila_husky_072922-1024x576.png\")
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that’s functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they’re very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They’ll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re always searching for the added health benefits of our favorite foods. Dark chocolate is a delicious dessert, but it\u2019s also high in antioxidants. Popcorn, ideally enjoyed with a movie, is a whole grain that\u2019s rich in fiber. Honey is a natural sweetener that is also known to reduce inflammation. Fruits and vegetables serve as refreshing summertime snacks, and also have their share of health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila<\/a>, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute<\/a> (PHHI), is focused on understanding the health benefits that bioactive compounds found in some foods \u2014 particularly fruits and vegetables \u2014 provide when ingested. Lila is based at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a global research center for some of North Carolina\u2019s universities, including NC State, for the discovery and translation of plant and food innovations for disease prevention and health benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the project, she\u2019s also engaging rural Alaskan communities and providing opportunities that wouldn\u2019t normally be available to the locals. Some native students recently visited Lila\u2019s lab<\/a> in Kannapolis. While there, they participated in high-tech science, which they don\u2019t have back home in their rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A student from Alaska in Mary Ann Lila's research lab in Kannapolis, NC this summer. Photo provided by the Plants for Human Health Institute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe found that they adapted very well in the lab,\u201d says Lila. \u201cMost of them were really intrigued by the opportunities that are available in North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Climate Change and Alaskan Bog Blueberries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLila\u2019s work in Alaska began over 20 years ago with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called \u201cAlaska Native Resources Under the Cloud of Climate Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they studied a wide range of native plants, Lila and her colleague, Kriya Dunlap<\/a>, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, were particularly interested in bog blueberries, which are known to provide many health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaskan bog blueberries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we're showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don't have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that's functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they're very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They'll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Through a longstanding collaboration with communities in Alaska, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is researching the health benefits a local berry has on sled dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3509,"featured_media":203752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is studying the health benefits of a native Alaska berry on sled dogs.\",\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":1163}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1171,1181,1163,2510],"tags":[439,241,6,450],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"coauthors":[2233],"class_list":["post-203751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-and-staff","category-newswire","category-research","category-womens-history-month","tag-blueberries","tag-department-of-food-bioprocessing-and-nutrition-sciences","tag-nutrition","tag-plants-for-human-health-institute"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":1163,"name":"Research","slug":"research","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":733,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203751"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214177,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions\/214177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=203751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
After testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we’re showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don’t have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that’s functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they’re very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They’ll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re always searching for the added health benefits of our favorite foods. Dark chocolate is a delicious dessert, but it\u2019s also high in antioxidants. Popcorn, ideally enjoyed with a movie, is a whole grain that\u2019s rich in fiber. Honey is a natural sweetener that is also known to reduce inflammation. Fruits and vegetables serve as refreshing summertime snacks, and also have their share of health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila<\/a>, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute<\/a> (PHHI), is focused on understanding the health benefits that bioactive compounds found in some foods \u2014 particularly fruits and vegetables \u2014 provide when ingested. Lila is based at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a global research center for some of North Carolina\u2019s universities, including NC State, for the discovery and translation of plant and food innovations for disease prevention and health benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the project, she\u2019s also engaging rural Alaskan communities and providing opportunities that wouldn\u2019t normally be available to the locals. Some native students recently visited Lila\u2019s lab<\/a> in Kannapolis. While there, they participated in high-tech science, which they don\u2019t have back home in their rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A student from Alaska in Mary Ann Lila's research lab in Kannapolis, NC this summer. Photo provided by the Plants for Human Health Institute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe found that they adapted very well in the lab,\u201d says Lila. \u201cMost of them were really intrigued by the opportunities that are available in North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Climate Change and Alaskan Bog Blueberries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLila\u2019s work in Alaska began over 20 years ago with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called \u201cAlaska Native Resources Under the Cloud of Climate Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they studied a wide range of native plants, Lila and her colleague, Kriya Dunlap<\/a>, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, were particularly interested in bog blueberries, which are known to provide many health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaskan bog blueberries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we're showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don't have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that's functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they're very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They'll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Through a longstanding collaboration with communities in Alaska, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is researching the health benefits a local berry has on sled dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3509,"featured_media":203752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is studying the health benefits of a native Alaska berry on sled dogs.\",\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":1163}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1171,1181,1163,2510],"tags":[439,241,6,450],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"coauthors":[2233],"class_list":["post-203751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-and-staff","category-newswire","category-research","category-womens-history-month","tag-blueberries","tag-department-of-food-bioprocessing-and-nutrition-sciences","tag-nutrition","tag-plants-for-human-health-institute"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":1163,"name":"Research","slug":"research","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":733,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203751"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214177,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions\/214177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=203751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
In addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that’s functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they’re very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They’ll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re always searching for the added health benefits of our favorite foods. Dark chocolate is a delicious dessert, but it\u2019s also high in antioxidants. Popcorn, ideally enjoyed with a movie, is a whole grain that\u2019s rich in fiber. Honey is a natural sweetener that is also known to reduce inflammation. Fruits and vegetables serve as refreshing summertime snacks, and also have their share of health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila<\/a>, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute<\/a> (PHHI), is focused on understanding the health benefits that bioactive compounds found in some foods \u2014 particularly fruits and vegetables \u2014 provide when ingested. Lila is based at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, a global research center for some of North Carolina\u2019s universities, including NC State, for the discovery and translation of plant and food innovations for disease prevention and health benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the project, she\u2019s also engaging rural Alaskan communities and providing opportunities that wouldn\u2019t normally be available to the locals. Some native students recently visited Lila\u2019s lab<\/a> in Kannapolis. While there, they participated in high-tech science, which they don\u2019t have back home in their rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A student from Alaska in Mary Ann Lila's research lab in Kannapolis, NC this summer. Photo provided by the Plants for Human Health Institute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cWe found that they adapted very well in the lab,\u201d says Lila. \u201cMost of them were really intrigued by the opportunities that are available in North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Climate Change and Alaskan Bog Blueberries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLila\u2019s work in Alaska began over 20 years ago with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called \u201cAlaska Native Resources Under the Cloud of Climate Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they studied a wide range of native plants, Lila and her colleague, Kriya Dunlap<\/a>, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, were particularly interested in bog blueberries, which are known to provide many health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaskan bog blueberries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we're showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don't have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that's functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they're very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They'll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Through a longstanding collaboration with communities in Alaska, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is researching the health benefits a local berry has on sled dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3509,"featured_media":203752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is studying the health benefits of a native Alaska berry on sled dogs.\",\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":1163}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1171,1181,1163,2510],"tags":[439,241,6,450],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"coauthors":[2233],"class_list":["post-203751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-and-staff","category-newswire","category-research","category-womens-history-month","tag-blueberries","tag-department-of-food-bioprocessing-and-nutrition-sciences","tag-nutrition","tag-plants-for-human-health-institute"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":1163,"name":"Research","slug":"research","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":733,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203751"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214177,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions\/214177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=203751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cWe found that they adapted very well in the lab,\u201d says Lila. \u201cMost of them were really intrigued by the opportunities that are available in North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Climate Change and Alaskan Bog Blueberries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLila\u2019s work in Alaska began over 20 years ago with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called \u201cAlaska Native Resources Under the Cloud of Climate Change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although they studied a wide range of native plants, Lila and her colleague, Kriya Dunlap<\/a>, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, were particularly interested in bog blueberries, which are known to provide many health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaskan bog blueberries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we're showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don't have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that's functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they're very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They'll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Through a longstanding collaboration with communities in Alaska, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is researching the health benefits a local berry has on sled dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3509,"featured_media":203752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is studying the health benefits of a native Alaska berry on sled dogs.\",\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":1163}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1171,1181,1163,2510],"tags":[439,241,6,450],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"coauthors":[2233],"class_list":["post-203751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-and-staff","category-newswire","category-research","category-womens-history-month","tag-blueberries","tag-department-of-food-bioprocessing-and-nutrition-sciences","tag-nutrition","tag-plants-for-human-health-institute"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":1163,"name":"Research","slug":"research","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":733,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203751"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214177,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions\/214177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=203751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
After testing the plant\u2019s bioactive properties, Lila and her team discovered those natural chemicals provide health benefits to humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same chemicals that the plant forms to protect itself, when they enter the human body, also protect the human body against the ravages of disease,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This knowledge wasn\u2019t new to the Native Alaskan communities. For example, they knew bears would eat bog blueberries after a tussle because of their wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The team continues to engage the local communities in their research, including elders, who have always believed in the powers of plants, and children, so they could teach them these important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe elders already knew that they were important berries, but we were providing the youth with evidence from Western medicine that these berries were important,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a follow-up on traditional observations and traditional knowledge, but now we're showing why those animals naturally gravitate toward the berries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Delicious Pre-Race Snack<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOver the years, Lila\u2019s research has transitioned to better prove how beneficial these berries are with a USDA grant. But instead of bioassays in the back of a pickup truck to test their bioactive properties, she and Dunlap now use Dunlap\u2019s sled dogs as sentinels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe use sled dogs in Alaska because sled dogs traditionally eat what the people eat,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe Alaska Native people don't have money to buy dog food, so they just give the dogs the scraps from their own table. And the dogs eat the berries like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mary Ann Lila, a David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and the director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, with a Siberian Husky in Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that's functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Two-Way Street of \u201cBerry\u201d Healthy Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHumans can also eat bog blueberries, and they\u2019re known to be quite delicious. However, the natural chemicals in ripe berries, including the more familiar blueberries, raspberries and strawberries we find in the grocery store, must be broken down before they enter circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you eat them, they go all the way down to your gut and they get catabolized by bacteria in your microbiome,\u201d says Lila. \u201cThe bacteria break them up into smaller active molecules, and those are the ones that get into your bloodstream. When they enter your bloodstream, they're very active, and they will inhibit enzymes that might cause disease. They will fortify membranes. They'll do a lot of good things for your body, depending on what the metabolite is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like the microbiome helps activate compounds found in berries, the berries also help the microbiome flourish, creating a two-way street of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are good bacteria and bad bacteria and when you eat blueberries, for example, the populations of the good bacteria rise and the populations of the pathogenic bacteria go down,\u201d says Lila. \u201cIt actually improves the overall composition of the microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lila\u2019s bog blueberry research has caught the interest of health-based companies who want to use them on a larger scale with both humans and dogs; however, Lila has advice for anyone who wants to improve their health in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll berries are wonderful and they should be a larger part of our diet,\u201d says Lila.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Through a longstanding collaboration with communities in Alaska, Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is researching the health benefits a local berry has on sled dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3509,"featured_media":203752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences\u2019 Mary Ann Lila is studying the health benefits of a native Alaska berry on sled dogs.\",\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":1163}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1171,1181,1163,2510],"tags":[439,241,6,450],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"coauthors":[2233],"class_list":["post-203751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-and-staff","category-newswire","category-research","category-womens-history-month","tag-blueberries","tag-department-of-food-bioprocessing-and-nutrition-sciences","tag-nutrition","tag-plants-for-human-health-institute"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":1163,"name":"Research","slug":"research","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":733,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203751"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214177,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203751\/revisions\/214177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=203751"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=203751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
In addition, it is well known that when exercising in cold temperatures, your immune system is suppressed and you\u2019re therefore more susceptible to diseases. This made racing sled dogs the perfect candidates to better understand why this happens, and how to prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of the study was simple. The dogs would be fed the berries as part of their fuel before the race, which they love. Then they would participate in shorter races, and the researchers would compare the dogs\u2019 blood markers before and after the race. Their results showed that the berries, as predicted, increased immune protection. They also found that the berries had anti-inflammatory properties and even increased the dogs\u2019 performances, too. In addition, the researchers found that the dogs didn\u2019t need to eat that many berries to receive the benefits. In fact, due to their potency, even a single berry proved beneficial to the dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were surprised at how influential they were after just one serving because a lot of food that's functional, that is good for your health, you have to eat it over a number of weeks or months before you really see a benefit,\u201d says Lila. \u201cBut we were surprised with these berries that one supplementation with the berries before a race made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n