Lately, I have been eating a lot of blueberries! I find them very delicious but what I'm really after is the pterostilbene (pronounced tear-oh-STILL-bean)!
Pterostilbene is a beneficial dietary compound that is found in antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries, cranberries, and red grapes. Research has shown that this potent polyphenol helps protect against neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic and hematologic disorders. You see why it makes sense to chomp on these as often as you can!
As a methylated stilbene molecule, it has a similar structure to the antioxidant resveratrol. Pterostilbene and resveratrol share many of the same benefits, including fighting oxidative stress, but pterostilbene has been shown to have superior bioavailability. In other words, pterostilbene is believed to be absorbed and utilised by the body more easily than similar phytonutrients.
A super-nutrients for cell protection
Pterostilbene is a "fighter-chemical"! It combats oxidative stress, thanks to its strong antioxidant activity. It also helps to fight inflammation, the root cause of many diseases, and boost the immune system; helping you to help prevent and treat various chronic diseases from your DNA, mitochondria, and cells up! The most incredible benefit of pterostilbene is that it is an Nrf2 pathway activator.
These are some of the lifestyle-related, chronic-disease that pterostilbene can help beat:
Increasing rates of obesity and poor nutrition are major contributors to breast cancer occurrence in women. Several studies have shown that blueberry extract and pterostilbene inhibit breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. Pterostilbene treatment of breast cancer cells has additionally been shown to alter cellular oxidative activity that may play an important role in pterostilbene-mediated cell injury or death.
As a certified RECODE coach, helping my clients to protect against neurological diseases, including brain fog, memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease is one of my passions. Pterostilbene has shown to be an important part of the Ketoflex and Mitochondrial -Food diets.
Pterostilbene protects the heart and blood vessels. It also helps to prevent diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome.
Which genotype would benefit?
If you carry medium to high impact genetic variations in the key oxidative stress genes, you're going to be more predisposed to oxidative stress cellular damage. this means that adding in pterostilbene daily would be really beneficial for you. Having this type of information about your body is truely amazing as you can start to personalise your health choices based on your own scientific data.
Look out for your genotype in the following genes:
| Gene | Function | Test |
| Nrf2 | Encodes is a basic leucine zipper protein that regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins that protect against oxidative damage triggered by injury and inflammation | |
| NQO1 | Involved in the detoxification. NQO1 also protects cells from oxidative stress by maintaining your antioxidant levels | |
| GSTM1 | ||
| GPX1 | Encodes a member of the glutathione peroxidase family, which contains important antioxidant enzymes and helps detoxify hydrogen peroxide with glutathione, and thereby protect cells against oxidative damage. | |
| GSTP1 | GSTP1 is the most abundant glutathione-s-transferase subtype in the lungs and is known to metabolise many carcinogenic compounds. | |
| eNOS | Encodes the endothelium-derived nitric oxide synthase enzyme, which catalyzes (or uncouples) nitric oxide, and plays a key role in the regulation of vascular tone and peripheral resistance (the resistance of the arteries to blood flow). |
|
| MnSOD | SOD2 | Vital for antioxidant activity within the cell, especially within the mitochondria. |
How much should I consume daily?
It is recommended that you consume around 250 mg per day of pterostilbene.
If you're looking for some ideas to increase your intake, why not download our favourite smoothie recipe:
If you'd like to learn more or set some personalised health goals, you can book a Functional Medicine Health Coaching session online. We'd love to help you become healthier!
Written by:
Marguerite Doig-Gander
CEO of MY DNA CHOICES
BA (Speech, Hearing & Lang Therapy) Hons | FMCHC | ReCODE Coach | HMX Genomics & Biochemistry (Candidate)
