Volunteers Sought for Wild Blueberries and Health Study
Contact: Elijah Magrane, 581-8434; George Manlove, 581-3756
ORONO — Volunteers are being sought by the UMaine Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition to participate in an eight-to-12-week study to test theories about the effects of wild blueberry consumption on hunger and blood chemistry.
The purpose of the study is to demonstrate that consumption of wild blueberries as part of a meal makes a person feel full sooner, potentially leading to weight loss, and slows the release of glucose and insulin into the blood, thus reducing risks for diabetes and obesity. The study, getting under way soon, will extend into the summer. It is funded by the Maine Technology Institute, the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.
Principal investigator for the “Wild Blueberry Consumption and Its Effects on Satiety and Blood Chemistry” study is master’s degree candidate and dietetic intern Elijah Magrane, who previously received a bachelor of science degree in culinary nutrition at Johnson and Wales University.
Magrane is basing his research hypotheses on the fact that wild Maine blueberries are rich in the purple anthocyanin pigments, which act as an antioxidant. Anthocyanins have been the subject of much research due to their potential to alter blood chemistry, which can lead to reducing risks for diabetes and obesity. Maine blueberries also are high in fiber and could increase the feeling of satiety after a meal, which could aid in weight loss, according to Magrane.
The research is a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Volunteers will report to the laboratory in Hitchner Hall in the early morning after a minimum 10-hour fast and will receive a breakfast consisting of cornflakes, skim milk and orange juice. Participants will then be assigned randomly into four groups, each of which will receive one out of four possible meal supplements. After the meals, participants will be asked to fill out a survey and to donate a blood sample for testing. Subjects will return every two to three weeks to repeat the experience, for a total of four times within a maximum of 12 weeks.
Upon completion of the study, participants will each receive a $200 stipend.
Criteria for study subjects are that participants must: be 25-50 years old; have a body mass index (BMI) of 25-29.9 or 18.5-24.9; not smoke; have regular eating habits (breakfast, lunch and dinner); not have an allergy or intolerance to corn, lactose, blueberries or orange juice; not be pregnant or lactating; not currently be trying to lose or gain weight, or have lost or gained an excess of 3 kilograms or 8 pounds in the previous 3 months; not have diabetes; not be engaged in athletic training; and not be using medications or dietary supplements that affect appetite or blood sugar.
Magrane can be reached at 581-8434 for information.
Before turning to nutrition science at the University of Maine, Magrane worked as a chef in Providence, R.I. and Cape Cod, Mass. Faculty adviser is Mary Ellen Camire, professor of food science and human nutrition.